A decade later, he attended a 14-week advanced management program at Harvard University.[5]. Gokongwei was born in Manila, as the second of six children. Gokongwei was born in Fujian province, southern China, as a fourth-generation scion of a rich family whose great-grandfather was the immigrant tycoon and Cebu Chinese community leader Pedro Gotiaoco. Even though he had to stop schooling in his teenage years to support his family, he always understood the value of having a good education. Bygones might be bygonesSan Miguels chief, Ramon Ang, calls the Gokongweis one of the smartest families in the Philippines todaybut when I try to win over Gokongwei with his favored snack, handing him a pouch of peanuts, he bristles, noting the brandSan Miguel. In February 2008, Forbes Asia magazine placed him on their list of the Heroes of Philanthropy. The list included three other Filipinos, Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Oscar Lpez, and Ramn del Rosario Jr. John Gokongwei was married to Elizabeth Yu from 1958 until his death in 2019. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. John Gokongweis biography, John L. Gokongwei Jr.: The Path of Entrepreneurship, written by Dr. Marites A. Khanser, was released on August 29, 2007, at the Ateneo de Manila University. [10], In 2013, Gokongwei became chief executive of Universal Robina. His conglomerate company JG Summit Holdings, Inc., had an extensive panoply of business and investment holdings across the Filipino economy, including . His father was a scion of a wealthy Cebu-based family with ancestral ties to China's Southern Fujian province. In 1958, John and Elizabeth got married and had six beautiful children: Robina, Lance, Lisa, twins Faith, Hope, and Marcia. I told him he didnt need to and that his expression of sympathy was already much appreciated by the family. Front row: Daughters Faith and Marcia Photo by FROM T&C PH. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The partnership with Calbee, however, ended five years later as Calbee suffered losses in the Philippine market. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. John Robinson Lim Gokongwei was born on August 11, 1926 in China to a Filipino-Chinese father who was a scion of a wealthy Cebu-based family with ancestral ties to China's Fujian province. Success Story of John Gokongwei. With a net worth of US $5.3 billion, making him the third richest man in the Philippines in 2019, John Gokongwei Jr. has really come a long way from the young boy who sold soap, thread and other basic needs in post-war Cebu. In the early 1950s, along with his brothers and sisters who returned from China, he started to import cigarettes and whiskey too. Our new product developments have contributed a lot, and so have Great Taste Premium and Great Taste Choco. I swear to God that he had the biggest smile I ever saw in his face. Contact Us I used to visit Angkong a lot at the office when i was still in school. She was 85. The discussion ended with that, no resolution, just an exchange of positions and shortly after Mr. John left the room my father sat down with me, had a few more glasses of whiskey and told me that I have to remember that at one point it would no longer be about the money.. Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and nation-builder John L. Gokongwei passed away on November 9, 2019, at the age of 93. While part of Gokongweis office at the Robinsons Equitable Tower in the Ortigas district of Pasig showcases photographs of him with the likes of former president Benigno Aquino III and Imelda Marcos, Gokongwei says hes stayed away from political entanglements. When he died, Big John was the third-richest person in the Philippines, according to Forbes. Careers Robinsons Land President and CEO Frederick Go shared a heartwarming gesture from his uncle, the late ultra bilyonaryo John Gokongwei, who wanted to get his fledgling journalism career flying high. My thay-kong (Hokkien for great-grandpa) wasnt able to prepare well for his succession in the case of my grandfather, who was his eldest son. My mom only spoke half of it in her eulogy three days ago. His strong resolve towards life made him successful and become one of the richest men in the. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Still, its hard to shed old habits. John Gokongwei also tried to acquire the Singapore-based property company United Industrial Corporation Ltd. (UIC) for $1 billion, where he had over 30% of stakes. As is the usual story, he became a prominent businessman. Tycoon John Gokongwei Jr., who is turning 90 by August next year, has made his mark in corporate Philippines as the founder of JG Summit Holdings, a conglomerate seen to have benefited and yet to . Thus, at 13, John began peddling items from his bicycle, on the streets of Cebu. John Robinson Lim Gokongwei Jr. (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: W Yhu; Peh-e-j: G Ek-hui; 11 August 1926 - 9 November 2019) was a Filipino businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He knows hell be here, says Robina. John then launched a corn milling plant, named Universal Corn Products, and started producing corn starch and glucose. Gokongwei was the founder and chairman of JG Summit Holdings, which owns . The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". If a job is given to me, Ill do it, says Lance, now 49. The family discovered that much of the business was built on debt. . He received his Masters degree in Business Administration from De La Salle University in 1977 and has, since then, been an ardent supporter of education. I admired and liked him very much. Gokongwei used his bicycle to trade goods through checkpoints across towns. They were the victors at the time.. His grandfather was a wealthy immigrant from China who became the patriarch of a clan that now controls some of the largest companies in the Philippines. His siblings then joined his business. He recalls bowing to the imperial soldiers. John Gokongwei My great-great-grandfather lived to age 28, my immigrant great-grandfather Pedro Gotiaoco died at 66, my grandfather was 68, and my father died at 34. He built a massive empire consisting of businesses in sectors such as food, beverage, clothing, aviation, telecommunications, banking, energy, petrochemicals, and livestock farming. Today the airline dominates the Philippines domestic market. His businesses are now managed by his six children and his brother, James. He said, Choose to be an entrepreneur because then you desire a life of adventure, endless challenge, and the opportunity to be your best self.. "We need blood and sweat and hard work to make the Philippine economy compete globally, for our family businesses to be world class in this era of globalization. Because they needed to escape the turmoil in China, they migrated to the province of Cebu here in Philippines where his grandfather Pedro Gotiaoco operated a successful chain of movie houses. Present during the visit were Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Senators Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go and Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III. The airline is a subsidiary of JG Summit Holdings, controlled by the Gokongwei family - one of the richest Filipino- Chinesefamilies based in the Philippines. At some point after the meal he slips away, and his only son, Lance, is summoned for quiet talk about the family business, JG Summit, which the host founded in 1957 and which today is the second-largest family-run business in the Philippines, with a market capitalization of $13.2 billion. He always made sure that he worked hard and smart, giving 100% of his effort in everything he did. John Gokongwei Jr. died on November 9, 2019. Advertise With Us. After World War II, he started his own company called Amasia Trading, which imported flour, onions, fruits, used clothing, old newspapers, and magazines from the United States. We were left with practically nothing, except a good name, says Gokongwei. Often, as a journalist, I am asked how can I be so calm and composed even when the worst things in life happen right in front Pinas, kinondena ballistic missile test ng North Korea. [20], Gokongwei was awarded the 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young, one of Ten Outstanding Young Men in the Philippines in 2000, Finance Asias Best CEO in 2015 and 2018, and Institutional Investors Best CEO in 2015.[21]. According to a later Manila Times recap, [T]errorized by Estradas wrath, the Gokongweis were forced to apologize to stop him and soon after sold the newspaper in a deal allegedly orchestrated by Estrada. His nephew Patrick Henry Go, president and CEO of JG Summit Petrochemicals Group, shared a memory of witnessing an animated late afternoon meeting between his late dad Henry Go and Gokongwei on whether to further expand their diverse businesses. By the time the U.S. retook control of the Philippines, he had saved enough to travel to America for secondhand goodsused shoes, used clothing, used newspapers, any used remnantsto sell at a small storefront he rented in Cebu. [7], Lance Gokongwei started his career in the family business as a management trainee at Universal Robina Corp.[8] He sold Jack n Jill snacks to supermarkets, groceries, and sari-sari stores. Cebu Pacific is currently headed by Presidentand CEO Lance Gokongwei, presumptive heir of John Gokongwei, the chairmanemeritus of JG Summit.With a company slogan, "It's time . His great-grandfather, Pedro Gotiaoco, was one of the richest men in Cebu in the 19th century. The Philippines late Snack Food King, petrochemicals and budget airline pioneer John L. Gokongwei, Jr. was one of Southeast Asias most respected self-made business leaders and philanthropists when he died at age 93 on Nov. 9. In this collection of the most popular pieces from . Back then, when I used to work for Shell, he told me that he really wanted to see me join the business before he passed away. He was great, very human and inspiring. John donated 200 million pesos to an undergraduate management school in 2002. John always went for the best; he liked to take on challenges. At the time of his death, John was the third-richest man in the Philippines, according to Forbes. He then finished his last two years in Singapore. Big John found an interest in the cornstarch business but didnt have enough funds. Now, as he turns 90, he is retiring again, and this time may really mean it. The Gokongwei family at one of their family gatherings in the 1980s. John Gokongwei's Nine Rules of Success. One day he noticed that my grades were slipping. Initially, he dealt in second-hand goods imported from the U.S., but after his family joined in, he started dealing in beverages and cigarettes, too. Ferragamo celebrates the Year of the Rabbit with an edited selection of ready-to-wear styles and iconic accessories combining St. Theresas College: 75 years of polishing diamonds in the rough. John Gokongwei Jr. came from a wealthy clan in Cebu but they lost everything because of world war 2. Credit: Munshi Ahmed for Forbes. John Gokongwei Jr., whose rags-to-riches story has inspired many Filipino entrepreneurs, died on November 9 at . When your age hits 70 sometimes you feel totally ignorant, no matter how intelligent you used to be. None of the events that happened in our familys lives would have happened without you. He supported mainly educational charities through the familys Gokongwei Brothers Foundation. He also donated to various educational institutes and was the third-richest man in his country at the time of his death. A decade later Lisa would launch Summit Media, this time acquiring no newspapers, just nonpolitical magazines and websites. John Robinson Lim Gokongwei Jr. was born on August 11, 1926, in Xiamen, Gulangyu Subdistrict, Republic of China, to John Gokongwei, Sr. (Go Kong Wei) and Juanita Mrquez Lim. John and Elizabeth had first met when John was still a small-time importer of second-hand goods and owned a tiny store in Cebu. From journalists Emmie Abadilla Then came the Japanese occupation in 1942. The last time I had visited him at his home a few months ago, he seemed to have lost some weight but was nevertheless in good health and still intellectually sharp. John Robinson Lim Gokongwei, Jr. (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: W Yhu; Peh-e-j: G Ek-hui; born Go Ek-hui) is a Filipino business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. As recently as this June he was still on the dais at the annual shareholder meeting, next to his son and brother as they ran the show. You give birth to it, you nurture it, you raise it through problems, crisis, good times, bad times. In 1977, Gokongwei earned his Master of Business Administration from De La Salle University. If theres one thing that I wish could happen, its that he still would have been here to see his grandchildren graduate from college and have good careers. Gokongwei stated that entrepreneurship is a way out of poverty. Mrs. Gokongwei was characterized by her children as a selfless mother who always put her family first and described her as the reason behind John Gokongwei's success. John Gokongwei I'm from Cebu. In family conversation, it was never "John Gokongwei." He was always fondly referred to as "Iya" while his mother Juanita, half-sister to my grandfather Jose Asensi Marquez Lim, was . I dont know another Philippine company that has lasted three generations, except for Ayala, he says. Maybe Aboitiz is going to the third. (Arguably, its already in the fifth.). [22] They have a daughter and a son. Anyway, like my mom, I decided that sticking to something despite so many defeats is no longer being smart. Lance is the president and CEO of JG Summit. Once at a dinner in his home, I commented to Gokongwei that he had remarkably replicated the 19th-century rags-to-riches saga of his immigrant great-grandfather Pedro Gotiaoco. He took a loan of 500 thousand pesos from Albino Sycip, who was the chairman of China Bank back then, and Dee K. Chiong. The company imported flour, fruits, onions, used clothes, old newspapers, and magazines from the U.S. He returned to the Philippines to workliterally at his brothers elbow, in their tight office space. Thus, in his teens, he began trading on the streets of Cebu. The company was named Universal Corn Products (which later evolved into Universal Robina Corporation). The line is repeated by Tonythis time as hologramto his daughter at his funeral. By 1944 hed entered what he calls the batel age, when he broadened his inventory and used the wooden boats to trade goods in Manila, reclaiming more of his great-grandfathers legacy. They later had 12 grandchildren. [7] In 2004, the company introduced C2, a ready-to-drink tea that went head-to-head with foreign cola companies that dominated the beverage sector in the Philippines. He and my grandmother would always winthese two old fellows who, in their late 70s back then, were still very, very sharp. It is now the biggest player in the ready-to-drink tea and cup noodles business and the second-largest in the coffee sector in the Philippines. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. JG Summits legend is well known among the firms 35,000 employees: Gokongwei, the eldest of six children, grew up well-off in an ethnic Chinese family in Cebu, where his father owned a chain of movie theaters. Mariing kinondena ng pamahalaan ng Pilipinas ang panibagong ballistic missile test na ginawa ng North Korea. Thanks for your feedback to [emailprotected]. He told me it was the least he could do for someone who had done so much for the Philippines. He eventually unloaded his stake. It does not store any personal data. Also Known As: John Robinson Lim Gokongwei Jr. father: John Gokongwei, Sr. (Go Kong Wei), siblings: Henry Go, James L. Go, Johnson Go, Lily Ngochua, children: Faith Gokongwei, Hope Gokongwei, Lance Gokongwei, Lisa Gokongwei, Marcia Gokongwei, Robina Gokongwei, Founder/Co-Founder: JG Summit Holdings, Cebu Pacific, Universal Robina, Robinsons Malls, education: De La Salle University, Ateneo De Manila University.
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