Yin Yen-liang (Chinese: 尹衍樑; pinyin: Yǐn Yǎnliáng; 16 August 1950 – 26 May 2026), also known by his English name Samuel Yin, was a Taiwanese billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He was best known for the establishment of the Tang Prize, and as chairman of the Ruentex Financial Group. Yin was also the president of the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. In May 2026, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$5.6 billion.[1]
Yin Yen-liang | |
|---|---|
| 尹衍樑 | |
 Yin in 2015 | |
| Born | 16 August 1950 Taipei, Taiwan |
| Died | 26 May 2026 (aged 75) Taipei, Taiwan |
| Education | Chinese Culture University (BA) National Taiwan University (MBA) National Chengchi University (PhD) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founder, Tang Prize |
| Title | Chairman, Ruentex Financial Group |
| Spouse | Wang Chi-fan |
| Children | 2 |
Early life and education
editYin was born to waishengren parents from Rizhao in Shandong. His father Yin Shutian founded Ruentex Textiles and was known in Taiwan as 'the kind of denim'.
Yin was a difficult teenager and spent one and a half years in a reformatory prior to his father sending him to live at Jinde High School in Changhua, a newly founded school for students all over Taiwan who were difficult to discipline. After being lectured by his mathematics teacher Wang Jin-pyng, he decided to change his life and study hard.[2][3]
He graduated from Chinese Culture University with a bachelor's degree in history,[4] then earned an MBA from National Taiwan University in 1982, and a PhD in business administration from National Chengchi University in 1988. His doctoral dissertation, completed under professor Dah-Hsian Seetoo, was titled, "A study on the impact of organizational change strategies on organizational commitment" (Chinese: 組織變革策略對組織承諾之影響研究).[5]
Career
editYin was the head of the Ruentex Financial Group which invests in Taiwan and the People's Republic of China. Ruentex is most known for their construction investments as well as grocery, retail chain RT Mart.[1]
In Taiwan and the PRC, he was recognized as a promoter of entrepreneurship and startups. In 2014, Yin was named as one of the key investors in Gogoro, an electric scooter startup in Taiwan.[6]
In 2017, he sold a controlling stake in RT Mart China's parent company Sun Art Retail to Alibaba Group to focus on philanthropism.[7][8]
In 2024, Yin invested USD 50 million Taiwanese EV company Gogoro.[9]
Philanthropy
editYin stated that he planned to donate 95% of his net wealth to charity, especially those relating to science, arts, law, and politics.[10]
He established the Tang Prize in December 2012, funded by US$100 million of his own capital.[11][10] The prize is touted as the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize. The mission of the prize is to promote research that is beneficial to the world and humankind, promote Chinese culture and make the world a better place. The prize pays out the equivalent of US$1.7 million in categories of sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, sinology, and rule of law.[4]
Yin also provided financial and leadership support for the following foundations in Taiwan and the PRC; the Yin Xun-Ruo Educational Foundation, the Yin Shu-Tien Medical Foundation, the Kwang-Hua Education Foundation, and the Guanghua School of Management of Peking University.[12] In 2016, Yin donated US$12.8 million to the Scripps Research Institute to "contribute to the building of new state-of-the-art laboratories".[10]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yin donated to the Taipei Veterans General Hospital to establish new laboratories, intensive care units and to acquire medical equipment. He also provided a donation for Vietnamese new anchor Lê Vân Đài Trang to give a partial liver transplant to her child at the same hospital.[13][14]
Personal life and death
editYin was married to Wang Chi-fan (王绮帆) and had one son and one daughter.[15] His son, Yin Chung-yao is the chairman of Nan Shan Life Insurance and a director of various family companies including Ruentex Development and Gogoro.
He was an experienced offshore sailor and commissioned the construction of two yachts, Sea Eagle and Sea Eagle II, the latter being the world's largest aluminium sailing yacht.[16]
Yin died at Taipei Veterans General Hospital on 26 May 2026, at the age of 75.[17][18]
Awards and honours
editIn 2004, Yin was named a fellow of the Chinese Institute of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering. In 2008, he was invited to join Russia's International Academy of Engineering and awarded the Engineering Prowess Medal, the academy's highest honour. In 2010, Yin received the Henry L. Michel Award for Industry Advancement of Research by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for his contribution in the area of construction technology research. He was the first person without an academic background in engineering to receive the award.[4]
References
edit- 1 2 "Forbes profile: Samuel Yin". Forbes. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "尹衍樑出錢出力 這校被暱稱「王金平大學」". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 26 May 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ 世界新聞網. "從感化院少年蛻變潤泰總裁 尹衍樑因恩師王金平翻轉人生". 世界新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Founder Dr. Yen-Liang Lin". Tang Prize. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ "組織變革策略對組織承諾之影響研究--以潤泰工業股份有限公司電腦化為例__臺灣博碩士論文知識加值系統". ndltd.ncl.edu.tw (PhD Thesis). Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ↑ Chris, Ziegler (30 October 2014). "mysterious-smart-energy-company-raises-150-million-led-by-ex-htc-executive". The Verge. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ Brief, China Daily (27 May 2026). "The Retail Alchemist: How Samuel Yin Outmaneuvered Global Giants and Bequeathed a Fortune to Science". China Daily Brief. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ "Alibaba investing $3B in brick-and-mortar grocer | Retail Dive". www.retaildive.com. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ "Gogoro to receive investment from Gold Sino Assets - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Taiwanese multibillionaire gives Scripps Research $12.8M". San Diego Union-Tribune. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ↑ "This Taiwanese Billionaire Is Launching An Asian 'Nobel Prize'". Business Insider. Agence France Presse. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
- ↑ "Dr. Samuel Yin | Delos Capital". Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ↑ "Child of Vietnamese anchor gets lifesaving transplant in Taiwan". ocacnews.net. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ 世界新聞網. "從感化院少年蛻變潤泰總裁 尹衍樑因恩師王金平翻轉人生". 世界新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ "今年最具争议风云人物 大是大非尹衍梁 检举叶世文 是我干的！". 今周刊. No. 939. 2014.
- ↑ "Royal Huisman Sea Eagle: More than a Mere Yacht - YachtWorld".
- ↑ "Ruentex chair and Tang Prize founder Samuel Yin dies at 76". Taiwan News. 26 May 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ Jiang, Ming-yan; Hsu, Elizabeth (26 May 2026). "Ruentex chairman, Tang Prize founder Samuel Yin dies at age 75". Retrieved 26 May 2026. Republished as: "Ruentex chair, Tang Prize founder Samuel Yin dies at 75". Taipei Times. 26 May 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2026.