Morris Chang had decades of experience before he founded a business that’s indispensable to the global economy. What can other middle-aged entrepreneurs learn from him?
WALL STREET JOURNAL
The world’s most valuable tech companies were founded in dorm rooms, garages and diners by entrepreneurs who were remarkably young. Bill Gates was 19. Steve Jobs was 21. Jeff Bezos and Jensen Huang were 30.
But what might just be the world’s most invaluable company was founded by Morris Chang when he was 55 years old.
Never has anyone so old created a business worth so much as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, known simply as TSMC, the chip manufacturer that produces essential parts for computers, phones, cars, artificial-intelligence systems and many of the devices that have become part of our daily lives.
Chang had such a long career in the chip business that he would have been a legend of his field even if he’d retired in 1985 and played bridge for the rest of his life. Instead he reinvented himself. Then he revolutionized his industry.
Morris Chang, founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), is proof that successful entrepreneurship is not limited to young founders. Chang founded TSMC at the age of 55 and revolutionized the chip manufacturing industry with his innovative business model. Older entrepreneurs, according to studies, are more likely to achieve success than their younger counterparts. Chang’s experience and expertise played a crucial role in his ability to execute his vision for TSMC. Today, TSMC is a vital component of the global technology industry, manufacturing chips for various devices that are part of our daily lives.