TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foxconn founder and former CEO Terry Gou (郭台銘) is said to be considering running for president again in 2024 after the Kuomintang (KMT) party dealt a blow to his plans to run in 2020.
The tycoon relinquished his KMT membership in September after the party pressured the billionaire-turned-politician not to run for the presidency after he lost to Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) in the primary. The KMT in July officially nominated the beleaguered Han, who is currently being criticized for his controversial remarks as well as real estate scandals.
Having withdrawn from the presidential race, Gou is becoming friendlier with minor political parties, including the People First Party (PFP) and the newly-formed Taiwan People's Party (TPP). Recently, Gou has urged his supporters to cast their ballots for the two parties to help them secure seats in the Legislative Yuan in January's elections to add variety in the body as well as improve the quality of legislation.
When asked on Friday (Nov. 15) in a radio interview whether Gou would consider stepping into the 2024 presidential race, Tsai Chin-yu (蔡沁瑜), one of Gou's closest confidantes, replied with a "Yes." In the interview, Tsai also refuted rumors that Gou is unhappy with PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) after being denied a chance to run on behalf of the party, saying that he has never considered a Gou-Soong ticket.