Let’s begin
Meet this Singaporean entrepreneur who says, “The best part of my job is that I can play games and it’s my job.” Tan was an advocate and solicitor for Supreme Court of Singapore. However, soon he quit his law career for pursuing his passion of gaming. He saw an opportunity in gaming sector and worked on that. Today, Min-Liang Tan has achieved a success with his current net worth of $1.32 billion.
About Min Liang Tan:
Meet Min Liang Tan who is working with a mission: “to deliver the winning advantage to games like you and us.” Tan was born on 5 November 1977 in Singapore. Tan is the youngest of four children in his family. He graduated from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor’s degree in law. Tan was an advocate and solicitor for Supreme Court of Singapore. However, soon he quit law career. Today Min-Liang Tan currently serves as the Co-founder, Chairman, CEO, and Creative Director of Razer Inc. as well as the Chairman and CEO of THX.
Why Tan quit his law career?
From a young age, he has always been passionate about playing computer games. During this time, when he was engaged in first-person shooter games. He would often gather with a group of friends and they discussed, “wouldn’t be cool if we could make a mouse that is more precise and more accurate?”
This time his designer friend said, “Yes, absolutely we could do that.” Initially, their intention was simply to create a mouse for personal use, not for business purpose. It was just for fun. However, soon they realized that this can be enormous business. At this time, he decided to pursue his passion of gaming and quit his law career. All the experiences sparked a business idea in his mind.
Tan’s entrepreneurial journey:
Min-Liang Tan began his entrepreneurial journey in 1999 when he met his co-founder Robert Krakoff and collaborated on designing the world’s first gaming mouse, the “Razer Boomslang.” In 2005, Tan and Krakoff launched their startup, Razer Inc. Razer is dual-headquartered in Irvine, California, and Singapore, with regional headquarters in Hamburg and Shanghai.
Razer is a gaming hardware and software company that offers gaming laptops, mice, fitness bands, and tablets. Its distinctive triple-headed snake trademark is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. Today, the company is valued at $3.2 billion. The company operates 19 offices worldwide and is recognized as the leading brand for gamers in the USA, Europe, and China, boasting over 175 million users globally.
Min-Liang Tan currently serves as the Co-founder, Chairman, CEO, and Creative Director of Razer Inc. as well as the Chairman and CEO of THX, a leading audio technology company.
Achievements and awards received by Min-Liang Tan:
- Ranked No. 1 among the 30 top Southeast Asia tech founders by TechinAsia.
- Recognized as one of the “Top 10 Most Influential Leaders in Tech” by Juniper Research in 2015, this underscores his impact on the technology sector.
- Named one of “The 25 Most Creative People in Tech” by Business Insider, this highlights his innovative contributions within the technology industry.
- Ranked among the top 40 most powerful people in gaming as “The Kotaku Power 40”, acknowledging his leadership within the gaming community.
- Honored as the Asian of the Year in 2016 by The Straits Times, recognizing his achievements and contributions to the Asian community.
Tan says, “stay true to the course, focus on your goal, always be passionate about what you do.”
Tan never suppressed his passion even when he saw an opportunity and worked on that became a successful entrepreneur building a company valued at $3.2 billion.
