TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) reportedly sold his Hawaiian villa for over NT$125 million.
After completing last week's Taiwan tour, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) reportedly flew his family to a luxurious vacation home in Hawaii. Huang's close friendship with Chang and trip to Hawaii has raised scrutiny on the TSMC founder's Hawaiian home.
Chang used to spend Lunar New Year vacations in Hawaii. However, Liberty Times reported that he sold his Hawaiian property last May and stayed in Taiwan for the Lunar New Year this year. This indicates that Taiwan is his preferred residence during retirement.
Dubbed the "NT$3 Trillion Man," Huang attended the 2024 Computex Taipei expo in Taiwan, capturing the nation's attention for about two weeks. He departed Taiwan on Saturday evening (June 8), flying out of Songshan Airport on a private Bombardier 7500 jet.
According to flight tracking websites, Huang's plane was headed to Maui, Hawaii. In 2004, he purchased a luxury villa at Wailea Beach Resort in Maui for US$7.5 million, leading to speculation that he was taking his family there for a vacation.
Huang and Chang share a cross-generational friendship. Every time Huang visits Taiwan, he makes it a point to dine and catch up at Chang's home.
Late last year, when Chang became the first laureate of the "K. T. Li Award" for his work advancing Taiwan's technology industry, Huang and his wife flew to Taiwan as "mystery guests," much to the surprise and delight of Chang and his wife. During this visit, Huang invited key figures from the AI supply chain for a dinner gathering.
After the meal, they continued their outing at a night market, with the nearly 93-year-old Chang making a rare appearance, showing great respect for Huang and their bond.
Like Huang, Chang also invested in property in Hawaii. In previous years, he and his wife, Sophie Chang (張淑芬), would travel there for Lunar New Year vacations.
In 2017, Chang stumbled near his swimming pool at his Hawaiian home, which became public knowledge through a representative and caused some alarm among the public. Fortunately, it was later confirmed to be only minor bruises on his face.
According to Hawaiian real estate websites, Chang and his wife sold their villa last year for $3.889 million (NT$125.9 million). The villa, boasting breathtaking views of the Honolulu coastline, features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a living area of 21,568 square feet (about 600 pings).
Last Lunar New Year, Chang and his wife still vacationed in Hawaii. Upon returning to Taiwan, Sophie Chang shared in an interview that they spent 42 days in Hawaii without internet and were unable to go out.
Despite the circumstances, Sophie Chang said the couple never argued and enjoyed each other's company, with their nightly reluctant partings reminiscent of a romantic drama, to the admiration of many.
