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In 1983, a 52-year-old senior executive at Texas Instruments was passed over for the company's top job.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
He would go on to found and build the most strategically important company in the world.
Who's up for a story?
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2/ His father – an official in the local government – encouraged Morris to focus on school.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
Fleeing the violence of the ongoing wars, Morris and his mother moved frequently.
His studies became his respite.
In 1948, at the height of the Civil War, they moved to Hong Kong. pic.twitter.com/NoWVgHXEDA
4/ While he had originally intended to continue his studies and get a PhD, he failed his qualifying exam, so was forced to enter the job market.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
He took an entry-level job with Sylvania Semiconductor, but quickly realized the company wasn't forward-thinking enough for his style.
6/ Seeing his potential, TI offered to sponsor him for a PhD, even agreeing to continue paying his full salary while he was pursuing the degree.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
This was an offer he was unable to pass up.
He passed his qualifying exam (the second time was the charm!) and enrolled at Stanford. pic.twitter.com/hrTbhFx45b
8/ After 6 years running the semiconductor business, and seemingly on the fast track to the C-suite, Morris Chang's career took an unexpected turn.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
He was transferred to lead the struggling consumer business, then to a staff role.
In his own words, he was "put out to pasture."
10/ Shortly after his departure from TI (and after a short stint at its competitor, General Instrument), the government of Taiwan called on Morris Chang.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
Their proposal: come to Taiwan and help the country modernize its technology complex by creating a semiconductor industry. pic.twitter.com/URFtfDjpmI
12/ Interestingly, this manufacturing capability aligned well with an observation he had during his days at TI:
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
Chip designers often wanted to start their own companies.
But at the time, it was believed that success required integrated chip design and manufacturing.
14/ So in 1987, Morris Chang founded Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a pure-play chip manufacturer.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
In the same way that @Tobi and @Shopify have enabled independent players to sell online, TSMC enabled independent chip designers to start their own companies. pic.twitter.com/7QlQs1o8So
16/ Today, TSMC is the world's largest contract manufacturer of chips, with annual revenues approaching ~$50 billion.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
Its manufacturing capabilities are second-to-none.
In an industry where technological advantages are extremely difficult to overcome, TSMC appears unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/4ypXQI3T1T
18/ Morris Chang retired from the CEO role in 2018, but remains TSMC's chairman.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
His net worth is >$3 billion.
So that was the tale of Morris Chang, the man who was "put out to pasture" but went on to build one of the most important, influential companies of the modern era. pic.twitter.com/jtByb9TEVl
20/ If you enjoyed this, follow me for more educational threads on business, money, finance, and economics. You can find all of my threads in the meta-thread below. https://t.co/53UhhfRjAZ
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) January 24, 2021
We were able to visit with him a little over a year ago as part of our @Wharton Taiwan Trek
— Jake Levey (@JakeLevey) January 24, 2021
What stuck out to me most was his kindness and humor. A genuinely lovely person. pic.twitter.com/fhfbcK6tEo
weehingthong 