Min H. Kao | |
---|---|
Born | 1949 (age 74–75) |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater |
National Taiwan University (BS) University of Tennessee (MS; PhD) |
Occupation(s) | Co-founder and chairman, Garmin |
Spouse | Married |
Children | 2, including Jen Kao |
Min H. Kao ( Chinese: 高民環; pinyin: Gāo Mínhuán) is a Taiwanese-American electrical engineer, billionaire businessman, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of Garmin, with Gary Burrell, and its chairman.
In 2011, Kao was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for leadership in developing and commercializing compact GPS navigation devices.
Min H. Kao was born in 1949 in Zhushan, Nantou, a small town in Taiwan.[ citation needed] He graduated from the National Taiwan University, and earned a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1977. [1] [2] [3]
Kao undertook research for NASA and the United States Army. [3] He was subsequently a systems analyst for Teledyne Systems, an algorithm designer for Magnavox Advanced Products, and an engineering group leader for King Radio Corporation. [3] He also worked for AlliedSignal. [1]
In 1989, with Gary Burrell, Kao co-founded Garmin, a company best known for manufacturing devices that use the Global Positioning System. [1] [4]
Kao stepped down as CEO of Garmin in 2012, but remains executive chairman and a member of the board. [5]
In 2005, Kao gave $17.5 million to the College of Engineering of the University of Tennessee, $12.5 million of which was designated for the construction of a new facility. [6] In May 2007, groundbreaking ceremonies were conducted for the new Min Kao Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building. The building was dedicated in March 2012. [7]
In 2014, Kao donated $1 million to the University of Kansas College of Engineering for the building of electrical and computer engineering design labs. [8] In 2015, Kao donated $1 million to the Kansas State University College of Engineering for building four labs. [9]
Kao is married to Fan Kao. [4] They have a son, Ken Kao, who is a film producer, and a daughter, Jen Kao, who is a fashion designer. [4] They reside in Leawood, Kansas. [1] In 2011, he purchased an apartment in 15 Central Park West, Manhattan, New York City. [10] He spends the majority of his time in Manhattan. [11]
As of February 2020, his personal wealth was estimated at $4.1 billion.