Early Life and Career Beginnings
Chen Yung-tai was born in Taiwan. His career began in 1965 when he started selling office clocks. After his father's death, Chen had to work as a small trader and street merchant. Recognizing the potential of the office equipment market, he expanded into selling office equipment, furniture, and electronics. His early business acumen set the stage for his future success.
Rise to Success: The Aurora Group
Chen founded the Aurora Group. Through strategic business decisions and market expansion, Chen grew Aurora into a significant player in the office equipment sector. Aurora Group now has over 1,500 locations in Taiwan and mainland China. His company is also known for real estate investments, including a prominent tower along Xinyi Road in Taipei and a building in Shanghai's Lujiazui financial district.
Key Business Strategies
A key to Chen's success has been diversification. Chen has diversified from selling office equipment to expanding into electronics, furniture and real estate. Aurora also adapted to changing market conditions by offering AI-powered technology for remote office solutions during the pandemic. His focus on establishing a strong presence in both Taiwan and mainland China has also been crucial.
Philanthropy
Chen founded the Aurora Museum in Shanghai, showcasing his collection of Chinese artifacts. In 2015 Chen decided to throw his support behind small- and medium-sized charities working around Taiwan by launching the Goodwill award (the Chuanshan award), which honors eight organizations every year with a NT$12 million (about US$388,000) prize each.