Barry Lam (; born 24 April 1949) is a Taiwanese
billionaire businessman, and the founder and chairman of
Quanta Computer.
[Quanta Computer](_blank)
Quantatw.com. He is also a patron of the arts and a philanthropist in the area of culture and education.
[http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/who_1b_l2o.html]
On 25 May 2021, ''
Bloomberg Billionaires Index
The ''Bloomberg Billionaires Index'', launched in March 2012, is a daily ranking of the world's 500 richest people based on their net worth. It draws information from "action in the stock market, economic indicators and news reports", features a p ...
'' estimated his net worth at $5.98 Billion.
Barry Lam was born in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
and raised in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
. His father was an accountant for the
Hong Kong Club
The Hong Kong Club () is the first gentlemen's club in Hong Kong. Opened on 26 May 1846, it is a private business and dining club in the heart of Central, Hong Kong. Its members were (and still are) among the most influential people in the city, ...
. He studied engineering in Taiwan, graduating from
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University (NTU; ) is a public research university in Taipei, Taiwan.
The university was founded in 1928 during Japanese rule as the seventh of the Imperial Universities. It was named Taihoku Imperial University and served d ...
with bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering.
In 1973, he and some former classmates founded ,
[Barry Lam, Founder, Quanta Computer, Taiwan (int'l edition)](_blank)
''Bloomberg BusinessWeek''. (14 June 1999). a manufacturer of handheld calculators. As president of the company he built it into the largest contract manufacturer of calculators.
In the late 1980s, he became convinced that notebook computers would be the next big product.
He left Kinpo and founded
Quanta Computer in 1988.
He set up Quanta Computer with the help of a colleague, C. C. Leung, with capital of less than US$900,000. It had a turnover of NT$777 billion in 2007, US$23.7 billion.
[CommonWealth Magazine](_blank)
English.cw.com.tw.
In 2006, ''
Fortune Magazine'' included Quanta in the
Fortune Global 500
The ''Fortune'' Global 500, also known as Global 500, is an annual ranking of the top 500 corporations worldwide as measured by revenue. The list is compiled and published annually by ''Fortune'' magazine.
Methodology
Until 1989, it listed onl ...
Companies, and in 2007, ''Forbes'' placed Quanta 15th in its ranking of the world's most admired computer companies, the highest of a Taiwanese company. Quanta designs and manufactures for clients such as
Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...
,
Compaq
Compaq Computer Corporation (sometimes abbreviated to CQ prior to a 2007 rebranding) was an American information technology company founded in 1982 that developed, sold, and supported computers and related products and services. Compaq produced ...
,
Dell,
Gateway,
BlackBerry Ltd.
BlackBerry Limited is a Canadian software company specializing in cybersecurity. Founded in 1984, it was originally known as Research In Motion (RIM). As RIM, it developed the BlackBerry brand of Interactive Pager, interactive pagers, smartph ...
,
Hewlett-Packard,
Alienware
Alienware is an American computer hardware subsidiary of Dell. Their product range is dedicated to gaming computers which can be identified by their alien-themed designs. Alienware was founded in 1996 by Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila, and is ...
,
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, ...
,
Fujitsu,
Gericom
Gericom was an Austrian computer equipment manufacturer, based in Linz, Upper Austria. The company was bought by Quanmax, Inc and subsequently converted to Quanmax AG.
History
The company was founded in 1990 by Hermann Oberlehner and went publi ...
,
Lenovo,
LG,
Maxdata
Maxdata is the name of two German information technology companies.
The original Maxdata was founded in 1987 by Holger Lampatz in Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia, as the Maxdata Computer GmbH. It began selling personal computers in 1990. Maxdata u ...
,
MPC,
Sharp Corporation
is a Japanese multinational corporation that designs and manufactures electronic products, headquartered in Sakai-ku, Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. Since 2016 it has been majority owned by the Taiwan-based Foxconn Group. Sharp employs more than 5 ...
,
Siemens,
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...
,
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Sun for short) was an American technology company that sold computers, computer components, software, and information technology services and created the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, ZFS, the ...
, and
Toshiba
, commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, ...
. It is the largest manufacturer of PC notebooks worldwide and has diversified into servers, storage, and liquid-crystal display terminals.
[Quanta Computer](_blank)
Quantatw.com.
Quanta
Lam established the Quanta Research and Development Center at its headquarters in Taiwan. The center works on many collaborative projects with major institutions such as
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
,
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University (NTU; ) is a public research university in Taipei, Taiwan.
The university was founded in 1928 during Japanese rule as the seventh of the Imperial Universities. It was named Taihoku Imperial University and served d ...
and
Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...
on producing next generation products.
MIT Project T-Party
In 2005, Lam and Quanta joined forces with
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
on Project T-Party,
[ (0M project sets sights on future of computing , MIT News Office](_blank)
Web.mit.edu (13 April 2005). a five-year initiative to create the next generation of platforms for computing and communication. The project aims to create new interfaces and explore new ways of managing and accessing information.
One Laptop per Child
Lam decided that Quanta would be the
original design manufacturer
An original design manufacturer is a company that designs and manufactures a product that is eventually rebranded by another firm for sale. Such companies allow the firm that owns or licenses the brand to produce products while having to engage i ...
(ODM) for the
OLPC XO-1
The OLPC XO (formerly known as $100 Laptop, Children's Machine, 2B1) is a low cost laptop computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world, to provide them with access to knowledge, and opportunities to " ...
by the
One Laptop per Child project. Quanta took orders for one million laptops as of 2007-02-15. The
OLPC project was also part of Quanta's
Blue Ocean Strategy
''Blue Ocean Strategy'' is a book published in 2004 written by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, professors at INSEAD, and the name of the marketing theory detailed on the book.
They assert that these strategic moves create a leap in value for ...
, entering new market segments which are uncontested in terms of competition.
Arts patronage and philanthropy
Lam is one of the foremost patron of the arts in Taiwan.
He has a personal collection of more than 1,000 works of art and in particular, he collects Chinese paintings and calligraphy.
One of his favourite painters is
Zhang Daqian
Chang Dai-chien or Zhang Daqian (; 10 May 1899 – 2 April 1983) was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century. Originally known as a '' guohua'' (traditionalist) painter, by the 1960s he was also renowned ...
, and he has more than 250 of his works. He is a sponsor of the Zhang Daqian Museum, which is housed in the artist's former home. He has incorporated a Museum of Art and Technology in the headquarters of Quanta in Taiwan, and he displays his personal art collection there.
He is chairman of the Advisory Committee of the
National Palace Museum, Taipei, one of the leading museums worldwide. It has the largest collection of Chinese artefacts in the world.
He is chairman of the Contemporary Art Foundation which manages the
MoCA Taipei
The Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei (MoCA Taipei; ) is a museum of contemporary art, located in Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan.
History
The museum building was built during the Japanese rule in 1921 for what later became Jiànchéng Element ...
.
He is director of the
Cloud Gate Dance Theater group,
a Taiwanese modern dance group, which has performed in the
Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museums are a group of museums in different parts of the world established (or proposed to be established) by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
Museums in this group include:
Locations
Americas
* The Solomon R. Guggenhei ...
in New York, and toured Europe extensively.
He is founder and chairman of the Quanta Cultural and Educational foundation, which promotes culture, art and education in Taiwan.
It promotes educational exhibitions and programs for schools free of charge. It has held more than 20 exhibitions in 291 schools, with more than 1.3 million young people participating in its educational activities. The foundation has received the Wen Hsin Golden Award from the
Council for Cultural Affairs
The Ministry of Culture (MOC, ) is the ministry of the Republic of China (Taiwan) that promotes cultural and creative industries. The ministry also maintains thNational Repository of Cultural Heritage
History
Established in 1981 by Executive Y ...
, Taiwan, for its outstanding promotion of social education many times.
[Quanta Computer](_blank)
Quantatw.com.
In November 2002, Barry Lam announced that he would fund a new College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at his alma mater
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University (NTU; ) is a public research university in Taipei, Taiwan.
The university was founded in 1928 during Japanese rule as the seventh of the Imperial Universities. It was named Taihoku Imperial University and served d ...
.
It opened in July 2004, and is known as the
Barry Lam Hall Barry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name
* Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...
.
It houses the
Barry Lam Art Gallery in its basement.
He is chairman of the
Dwen An Social Welfare Foundation, a charitable organisation funded by leading business people in Taiwan.
He is a board director of the
China Exploration and Research Society (CERS), a Hong Kong-based group dedicated to understanding the natural wonders of China.
Honors
*2019 First Class Science and Technology Profession Medal,
Ministry of Science and Technology A Science Ministry or Department of Science is a ministry or other government agency charged with science. The ministry is often headed by a Minister for Science.
List of Ministries of Science
Many countries have a Ministry of Science or Ministry ...
*2012 Honorary Doctorate, National Tsing Hua University
*2007 Honorary Doctorate, National Taiwan University
*2005 Honorary Degree: Doctor of Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
*2006 'Second Class Bright Star Medal' Taiwan Government
*2006 and 2002 Wen Hsin Silver Award for outstanding promotion of social education, Council of Cultural Affairs, Taiwan
*2005 Entrepreneur of the Year, Ernst and Young
*2002 One of '25 Managers of the Year', Business Week Magazine
*2001 and 1999 One of 'The Stars of Asia', Business Week Magazine
The Stars of Asia (int'l edition)
. ''Bloomberg BusinessWeek''. (14 June 1999).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lam, Barry
Collectors of Asian art
Hong Kong emigrants to Taiwan
National Taiwan University alumni
20th-century Taiwanese businesspeople
1949 births
Living people
Taiwanese billionaires
Businesspeople from Shanghai
Taiwanese chief executives
Quanta Computer
Taiwanese people from Shanghai
21st-century Taiwanese businesspeople