John Tu is a Taiwanese-American businessman, the self-made billionaire Co-founder of Kingston Technology, one of the world's largest independent manufacturers of computer memory products (DRAM, flash memory, and storage solutions). Born in Chongqing, China, in 1941, his family fled to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War.

Tu moved to West Germany in 1960 to study electrical engineering. He was required to complete a two-year apprenticeship where he worked at a shipbuilding factory (enduring tough conditions that became his personal benchmark for resilience). He graduated from the Technical University of Darmstadt in 1970 and later moved to California.

• Kingston Technology (Co-founder & Co-owner): The core private asset, one of the world's largest independent manufacturers of memory and storage solutions.
• Early Setback: He lost his first tech business earnings in the 1987 stock market crash, which led directly to the founding of Kingston.
• Entrepreneurial Success: His first company, Camintonn, was sold for $6 million in 1986.
• Buyback Master: He sold 80 percent of Kingston to Softbank for $1.5 billion in 1996 and bought it back for $450 million in 1999 (a major strategic move).

John Tu's strategic genius was his resilience and commitment to specialized hardware. In 1987, after he and his partner, David Sun (whom he met on a basketball court), lost most of the $6 million proceeds from their first company sale in the stock market crash, they founded Kingston Technology on the strength of their relationship and shared technical expertise.

His structural contribution is immense: Kingston pioneered the memory module standardization that became essential to the personal computer (PC) revolution. His most audacious move was the sale of 80 percent of Kingston to Softbank for $1.5 billion in 1996 and the highly profitable buyback in 1999 for $450 million. His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the global computer memory and storage sector.

John Tu's social impact is structural, stemming from Kingston Technology's role in providing foundational hardware components (memory) that enabled the personal computer (PC) and digital revolution. His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives, including the Western Iowa Journalism Foundation (enabling a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper to buy its competition) and the Freedom Writers Foundation.

His career is a testament to the profitability of disciplined engineering expertise, resilience, and strategic financial timing.

John Tu maintains the professional, composed style of a technology executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects stability and his commitment to engineering and resilience.

Residing in California, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to technology innovation, strategic management, and the long-term stewardship of the Kingston empire.