
Empires - An Asian Business Podcast
By 1 Up Media
From 1 Up Media, Empires - An Asian Business Podcast is an immersive storytelling that dives deep into the history of the most successful businesses in Asia.
Every Monday, you'll learn the history of its leaders, the decisions that have rippled across the industry, and the factors that allowed them to become the empire's that they are today.
From triumph and victories, to monumental failures - Empires gets you behind the scenes of some of the most successful companies in Asia.
To stay up to date on the podcast on TikTok @Empires_1upmedia

Empires - An Asian Business PodcastNov 20, 2023

Studio Ghibli | Hatred and Cursed (JP) | 5/5
Let us get to know you - 1 minute survey link Studio Ghibli is an unmistakable animation powerhouse - initially dub the Pixar of Japan, its come to hold its own. Not always regarded as an empire for its sales, it's true power lies in its influence. Often mentioned as a source of inspiration by John Lasseter, ex-CCO of Pixar, and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Studio Ghibli teamed up with A-listers like Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett for iconic English dubs. Recently, whispers of Studio Ghibli's future have intensified. While Hayao Miyazaki remains its iconic face, Isao Takahata's genius and Toshio Suzuki's leadership as producer and president were equally pivotal. With Takahata's 2018 passing and Miyazaki's impending exit, the hunt is on for the studio's next visionary leaders... In EP 1: Be introduced to Isao Takahata, the mentor who discovered Hayao Miyazaki's brilliance. In EP 2: Relive the pivotal call when Toshio Suzuki ignited the creation of "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," the movie that birthed Studio Ghibli. In EP 3: Journey with the legendary trio as they race against time to debut the studio's foundational film. In EP 4 & 5: Chart Studio Ghibli's ascendancy, marked by production hell to create animation heaven.
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We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Studio Ghibli | Before Spirited (JP) | 4/5
Let us get to know you - 1 minute survey link Studio Ghibli is an unmistakable animation powerhouse - initially dub the Pixar of Japan, its come to hold its own. Not always regarded as an empire for its sales, it's true power lies in its influence. Often mentioned as a source of inspiration by John Lasseter, ex-CCO of Pixar, and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Studio Ghibli teamed up with A-listers like Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett for iconic English dubs. Recently, whispers of Studio Ghibli's future have intensified. While Hayao Miyazaki remains its iconic face, Isao Takahata's genius and Toshio Suzuki's leadership as producer and president were equally pivotal. With Takahata's 2018 passing and Miyazaki's impending exit, the hunt is on for the studio's next visionary leaders... In EP 1: Be introduced to Isao Takahata, the mentor who discovered Hayao Miyazaki's brilliance. In EP 2: Relive the pivotal call when Toshio Suzuki ignited the creation of "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," the movie that birthed Studio Ghibli. In EP 3: Journey with the legendary trio as they race against time to debut the studio's foundational film. In EP 4: Chart Studio Ghibli's ascendancy, marked by production hell to create animation heaven. In EP 5: Hear from industry insiders who shed light on Studio Ghibli's impact and significance in the region.
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We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Studio Ghibli | Sea of Decay (JP) | 3/5
Let us get to know you - 1 minute survey link Studio Ghibli is an unmistakable animation powerhouse - initially dub the Pixar of Japan, its come to hold its own. Not always regarded as an empire for its sales, it's true power lies in its influence. Often mentioned as a source of inspiration by John Lasseter, ex-CCO of Pixar, and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Studio Ghibli teamed up with A-listers like Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett for iconic English dubs. Recently, whispers of Studio Ghibli's future have intensified. While Hayao Miyazaki remains its iconic face, Isao Takahata's genius and Toshio Suzuki's leadership as producer and president were equally pivotal. With Takahata's 2018 passing and Miyazaki's impending exit, the hunt is on for the studio's next visionary leaders... In EP 1: Be introduced to Isao Takahata, the mentor who discovered Hayao Miyazaki's brilliance. In EP 2: Relive the pivotal call when Toshio Suzuki ignited the creation of "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," the movie that birthed Studio Ghibli. In EP 3: Journey with the legendary trio as they race against time to debut the studio's foundational film. In EP 4: Chart Studio Ghibli's ascendancy, marked by production hell to create animation heaven. In EP 5: Hear from industry insiders who shed light on Studio Ghibli's impact and significance in the region.
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We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Studio Ghibli | A Wizard's Call (JP) | 2/5
Let us get to know you - 1 minute survey link Studio Ghibli is an unmistakable animation powerhouse - initially dub the Pixar of Japan, its come to hold its own. Not always regarded as an empire for its sales, it's true power lies in its influence. Often mentioned as a source of inspiration by John Lasseter, ex-CCO of Pixar, and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Studio Ghibli teamed up with A-listers like Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett for iconic English dubs. Recently, whispers of Studio Ghibli's future have intensified. While Hayao Miyazaki remains its iconic face, Isao Takahata's genius and Toshio Suzuki's leadership as producer and president were equally pivotal. With Takahata's 2018 passing and Miyazaki's impending exit, the hunt is on for the studio's next visionary leaders... In EP 1: Be introduced to Isao Takahata, the mentor who discovered Hayao Miyazaki's brilliance. In EP 2: Relive the pivotal call when Toshio Suzuki ignited the creation of "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," the movie that birthed Studio Ghibli. In EP 3: Journey with the legendary trio as they race against time to debut the studio's foundational film. In EP 4: Chart Studio Ghibli's ascendancy, marked by production hell to create animation heaven. In EP 5: Hear from industry insiders who shed light on Studio Ghibli's impact and significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Studio Ghibli (JP) | Winds of Change | 1/5
Let us get to know you - 1 minute survey link Studio Ghibli is an unmistakable animation powerhouse - initially dub the Pixar of Japan, its come to hold its own. Not always regarded as an empire for its sales, it's true power lies in its influence. Often mentioned as a source of inspiration by John Lasseter, ex-CCO of Pixar, and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Studio Ghibli teamed up with A-listers like Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett for iconic English dubs. Recently, whispers of Studio Ghibli's future have intensified. While Hayao Miyazaki remains its iconic face, Isao Takahata's genius and Toshio Suzuki's leadership as producer and president were equally pivotal. With Takahata's 2018 passing and Miyazaki's impending exit, the hunt is on for the studio's next visionary leaders... In EP 1: Be introduced to Isao Takahata, the mentor who discovered Hayao Miyazaki's brilliance. In EP 2: Relive the pivotal call when Toshio Suzuki ignited the creation of "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," the movie that birthed Studio Ghibli. In EP 3: Journey with the legendary trio as they race against time to debut the studio's foundational film. In EP 4: Chart Studio Ghibli's ascendancy, marked by production hell to create animation heaven. In EP 5: Hear from industry insiders who shed light on Studio Ghibli's impact and significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Grab (MY/SG) | Interview, Grab after Uber & possible FoodPanda acquisition | 5/5
Let us get to know you - 1 minute survey link
Grab is often referred to as the "Uber of Southeast Asia." However, it's quickly becoming a super app on which one can manage a significant portion of their lives, including investing. By market share, they dominate Southeast Asia, controlling approximately 70% of all rides after Uber's exit. Grab's journey from a fledgling taxi application in Malaysia to being valued at nearly 40 billion, representing the largest SPAC IPO on record, is nothing short of astounding. In its rise, it not only defeated Uber but also became an indispensable app for the 700 million people in Southeast Asia. In EP 1, discover the experiences that left an indelible mark on Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling, the founders of MyTeksi, which later became Grab. In EP 2, join the team as they get gritty, clawing their way to the top and vying for driver attention. In EP 3, witness the relentless battle between Uber and Grab as the team struggles to fend off the industry giant. In EP 4, learn about the pivotal investments that transformed Grab into a behemoth and the all-out war that resulted in the greatest cash burns in Southeast Asian history. In EP 5, hear from industry insiders who shed light on Grab's impact and significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)
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Guest:
Jason Poh, Former investor for a pension fund & family office in Malaysia.

Grab (MY/SG) | Uber vs Grab, Street Hails and Street Fight | 4/5
Let us get to know you - 1 minute survey link
Grab is often referred to as the "Uber of Southeast Asia." However, it's quickly becoming a super app on which one can manage a significant portion of their lives, including investing. By market share, they dominate Southeast Asia, controlling approximately 70% of all rides after Uber's exit. Grab's journey from a fledgling taxi application in Malaysia to being valued at nearly 40 billion, representing the largest SPAC IPO on record, is nothing short of astounding. In its rise, it not only defeated Uber but also became an indispensable app for the 700 million people in Southeast Asia. In EP 1, discover the experiences that left an indelible mark on Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling, the founders of MyTeksi, which later became Grab. In EP 2, join the team as they get gritty, clawing their way to the top and vying for driver attention. In EP 3, witness the relentless battle between Uber and Grab as the team struggles to fend off the industry giant. In EP 4, learn about the pivotal investments that transformed Grab into a behemoth and the all-out war that resulted in the greatest cash burns in Southeast Asian history. In EP 5, hear from industry insiders who shed light on Grab's impact and significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Grab (MY/SG) | Running Till Empty | 3/5
Let us get to know you! (1 minute survey link)
Grab is often referred to as the "Uber of Southeast Asia." However, it's quickly becoming a super app on which one can manage a significant portion of their lives, including investing. By market share, they dominate Southeast Asia, controlling approximately 70% of all rides after Uber's exit. Grab's journey from a fledgling taxi application in Malaysia to being valued at nearly 40 billion, representing the largest SPAC IPO on record, is nothing short of astounding. In its rise, it not only defeated Uber but also became an indispensable app for the 700 million people in Southeast Asia. In EP 1, discover the experiences that left an indelible mark on Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling, the founders of MyTeksi, which later became Grab. In EP 2, join the team as they get gritty, clawing their way to the top and vying for driver attention. In EP 3, witness the relentless battle between Uber and Grab as the team struggles to fend off the industry giant. In EP 4, learn about the pivotal investments that transformed Grab into a behemoth and the all-out war that resulted in the greatest cash burns in Southeast Asian history. In EP 5, hear from industry insiders who shed light on Grab's impact and significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Grab (MY/SG) | Up for Grabs | 2/5
Grab is often referred to as the "Uber of Southeast Asia." However, it's quickly becoming a super app on which one can manage a significant portion of their lives, including investing. By market share, they dominate Southeast Asia, controlling approximately 70% of all rides after Uber's exit. Grab's journey from a fledgling taxi application in Malaysia to being valued at nearly 40 billion, representing the largest SPAC IPO on record, is nothing short of astounding. In its rise, it not only defeated Uber but also became an indispensable app for the 700 million people in Southeast Asia. In EP 1, discover the experiences that left an indelible mark on Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling, the founders of MyTeksi, which later became Grab. In EP 2, join the team as they get gritty, clawing their way to the top and vying for driver attention. In EP 3, witness the relentless battle between Uber and Grab as the team struggles to fend off the industry giant. In EP 4, learn about the pivotal investments that transformed Grab into a behemoth and the all-out war that resulted in the greatest cash burns in Southeast Asian history. In EP 5, hear from industry insiders who shed light on Grab's impact and significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Grab (MY/SG) | Taking the Wheel | 1/5
Grab is often referred to as the "Uber of Southeast Asia." However, it's quickly becoming a super app on which one can manage a significant portion of their lives, including investing. By market share, they dominate Southeast Asia, controlling approximately 70% of all rides after Uber's exit. Grab's journey from a fledgling taxi application in Malaysia to being valued at nearly 40 billion, representing the largest SPAC IPO on record, is nothing short of astounding. In its rise, it not only defeated Uber but also became an indispensable app for the 700 million people in Southeast Asia. In EP 1, discover the experiences that left an indelible mark on Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling, the founders of MyTeksi, which later became Grab. In EP 2, join the team as they get gritty, clawing their way to the top and vying for driver attention. In EP 3, witness the relentless battle between Uber and Grab as the team struggles to fend off the industry giant. In EP 4, learn about the pivotal investments that transformed Grab into a behemoth and the all-out war that resulted in the greatest cash burns in Southeast Asian history. In EP 5, hear from industry insiders who shed light on Grab's impact and significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

VNG (VN) | Interview, Vietnamese perspective and Impact on startups in SEA | 5
VNG, often referred to as the "Tencent of Vietnam," is one of Southeast Asia's pioneering unicorns.
Mirroring Tencent, a significant 70% of VNG's revenue comes from gaming. Among its array of products, VNG boasts Zing, Zalo, and Zalopay, which parallel QQ - a social app, WeChat - a messenger, and WePay - a mobile wallet respectively.
VNG's remarkable success in Vietnam is nothing but extraordinary, especially since it'll stand its ground against global powerhouses like Facebook, carving a distinctly local path forward for the land of the ascending dragon. In Ep 1. Dive into Kingsoft's gamble on the young upstart Vinagames, the precursor to VNG. In Ep 2. Trace the evolution of Vinagames into VNG, through the ZING division whose internet products will touch over a 100 million lives. In Ep 3. Witness what happens when Facebook comes to town, and VNG's struggle in the battle for social media. In Ep 4. Delve deeper as their business skirmishes becomes a full-blown war over messaging platforms, reshaping the roles of VNG and Facebook in Vietnam In Ep 5. Hear from industry insiders as they shed light on VNG's significance in the region (Ngoc Nguyen/Jeremy Au)
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

VNG (VN) | Kill the Messenger | 4
VNG, often referred to as the "Tencent of Vietnam," is one of Southeast Asia's pioneering unicorns.
Mirroring Tencent, a significant 70% of VNG's revenue comes from gaming. Among its array of products, VNG boasts Zing, Zalo, and Zalopay, which parallel QQ - a social app, WeChat - a messenger, and WePay - a mobile wallet respectively.
VNG's remarkable success in Vietnam is nothing but extraordinary, especially since it'll stand its ground against global powerhouses like Facebook, carving a distinctly local path forward for the land of the ascending dragon. In Ep 1. Dive into Kingsoft's gamble on the young upstart Vinagames, the precursor to VNG. In Ep 2. Trace the evolution of Vinagames into VNG, through the ZING division whose internet products will touch over a 100 million lives. In Ep 3. Witness what happens when Facebook comes to town, and VNG's struggle in the battle for social media. In Ep 4. Delve deeper as their business skirmishes becomes a full-blown war over messaging platforms, reshaping the roles of VNG and Facebook in Vietnam In Ep 5. Hear from industry insiders as they shed light on VNG's significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

VNG (VN) | War of the Words | 3
VNG, often referred to as the "Tencent of Vietnam," is one of Southeast Asia's pioneering unicorns.
Mirroring Tencent, a significant 70% of VNG's revenue comes from gaming. Among its array of products, VNG boasts Zing, Zalo, and Zalopay, which parallel QQ - a social app, WeChat - a messenger, and WePay - a mobile wallet respectively.
VNG's remarkable success in Vietnam is nothing but extraordinary, especially since it'll stand its ground against global powerhouses like Facebook, carving a distinctly local path forward for the land of the ascending dragon. In Ep 1. Dive into Kingsoft's gamble on the young upstart Vinagames, the precursor to VNG. In Ep 2. Trace the evolution of Vinagames into VNG, through the ZING division whose internet products will touch over a 100 million lives. In Ep 3. Witness what happens when Facebook comes to town, and VNG's struggle in the battle for social media. In Ep 4. Delve deeper as their business skirmishes becomes a full-blown war over messaging platforms, reshaping the roles of VNG and Facebook in Vietnam In Ep 5. Hear from industry insiders as they shed light on VNG's significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

VNG (VN) | An Amazing Brand | 2
VNG, often referred to as the "Tencent of Vietnam," is one of Southeast Asia's pioneering unicorns.
Mirroring Tencent, a significant 70% of VNG's revenue comes from gaming. Among its array of products, VNG boasts Zing, Zalo, and Zalopay, which parallel QQ - a social app, WeChat - a messenger, and WePay - a mobile wallet respectively.
VNG's remarkable success in Vietnam is nothing but extraordinary, especially since it'll stand its ground against global powerhouses like Facebook, carving a distinctly local path forward for the land of the ascending dragon. In Ep 1. Dive into Kingsoft's gamble on the young upstart Vinagames, the precursor to VNG. In Ep 2. Trace the evolution of Vinagames into VNG, through the ZING division whose internet products will touch over a 100 million lives. In Ep 3. Witness what happens when Facebook comes to town, and VNG's struggle in the battle for social media. In Ep 4. Delve deeper as their business skirmishes becomes a full-blown war over messaging platforms, reshaping the roles of VNG and Facebook in Vietnam In Ep 5. Hear from industry insiders as they shed light on VNG's significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

VNG (VN) | A King's Bet | 1
VNG, often referred to as the "Tencent of Vietnam," is one of Southeast Asia's pioneering unicorns.
Mirroring Tencent, a significant 70% of VNG's revenue comes from gaming. Among its array of products, VNG boasts Zing, Zalo, and Zalopay, which parallel QQ - a social app, WeChat - a messenger, and WePay - a mobile wallet respectively.
VNG's remarkable success in Vietnam is nothing but extraordinary, especially since it'll stand its ground against global powerhouses like Facebook, carving a distinctly local path forward for the land of the ascending dragon.
In Ep 1. Dive into Kingsoft's gamble on the young upstart Vinagames, the precursor to VNG.
In Ep 2. Trace the evolution of Vinagames into VNG, through the ZING division whose internet products will touch over a 100 million lives.
In Ep 3. Witness what happens when Facebook comes to town, and VNG's struggle in the battle for social media.
In Ep 4. Delve deeper as their business skirmishes becomes a full-blown war over messaging platforms, reshaping the roles of VNG and Facebook in Vietnam
In Ep 5. Hear from industry insiders as they shed light on VNG's significance in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Promotions, Episode Drop | China-Vietnam Relations | The China History Podcast
Hi Empire listeners!
Today we've something special, we're doing an episode drop with our friend, Laszlo Montgomery from the China History Podcast.
We thought there's alot of synergy because they cover the in-depth history of China and the Chinese around our region, which actually gives brilliant context to our own podcast.
This episode is on China Vietnam Relations, which can set some context for the next business Empire that we'll witness - VNG. VNG is Vietnam's first startup worth over a billion dollars, and is often called the Tencent of Vietnam.
Enjoy this episode by Laszlo Montgomery on China-Vietnam Relations and we'll explore VNG in-depth next week.
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Find The China History Podcast on his Website, Twitter, Instagram
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Some suggestions from his podcast: History of Yunnan, China-Vietnam Relations, The History of Taiwan.

Alibaba (CN) | Interview, Impact on startups in SEA | 6
Alibaba is the Amazon of China, who's annual active user base is equivalent to the entire population of India. Alibaba, draws 70% of its total revenue from domestic operations and an additional 7% from international commerce. The firm also has a growing cloud division, similar to Amazon's, accounting for 9% of its revenues. The remaining revenues are generated from its digital media and distribution sectors. Throughout its growth, Alibaba would face industry titans such as eBay, and Amazon themselves, but emerge on top - creating the next wave of China billionare dragons. In Ep 1. We'll learn the humble life and painful experiences that turn Alibaba founder, Jack Ma into a global icon. In Ep 2. We'll follow the establishment (Joe Tsai, John Wu, Savio Kwan), rise then repercussion of Alibaba's ambitions as the dot com recession came smashing in. In Ep 3. We'll witness the intense war games between Alibaba and eBay, that birthed Taobao & Alipay (Ant Financial). In Ep 4. We'll observe the major mistep that eBay made, and the controversial deal that turned Alibaba into a billion dollar enterprise. In Ep 5. We'll behold the final transformation of Alibaba - that formed what experts call the iron triangle; dominating in e-commerce, mobile payments and supply chain. In Ep 6. We'll speak to both Cynthia Ding (Founding Partner of Yincubator) and Jeremy Au (VC & Chief of Staff for Monk's Hill Ventures) to learn more about their involvement in the region. Founder BRAVE podcast)
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We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Alibaba (CN) | Dragon in the Ocean | 5
Alibaba is the Amazon of China, who's annual active user base is equivalent to the entire population of India. Alibaba, draws 70% of its total revenue from domestic operations and an additional 7% from international commerce. The firm also has a growing cloud division, similar to Amazon's, accounting for 9% of its revenues. The remaining revenues are generated from its digital media and distribution sectors. Throughout its growth, Alibaba would face industry titans such as eBay, and Amazon themselves, but emerge on top - creating the next wave of China billionare dragons. In Ep 1. We'll learn the humble life and painful experiences that turn Alibaba founder, Jack Ma into a global icon. In Ep 2. We'll follow the establishment (Joe Tsai, John Wu, Savio Kwan), rise then repercussion of Alibaba's ambitions as the dot com recession came smashing in. In Ep 3. We'll witness the intense war games between Alibaba and eBay, that birthed Taobao & Alipay (Ant Financial). In Ep 4. We'll observe the major mistep that eBay made, and the controversial deal that turned Alibaba into a billion dollar enterprise. In Ep 5. We'll behold the final transformation of Alibaba - that formed what experts call the iron triangle; dominating in e-commerce, mobile payments and supply chain. In Ep 6. We'll speak to both Cynthia Ding (Founder Partner of Yincubator) and Jeremy Au (VC & Chief of Staff for Monk's Hill Ventures) to learn more about their involvement in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Alibaba (CN) | Crocodile in the Yangtze River | 4
Alibaba is the Amazon of China, who's annual active user base is equivalent to the entire population of India. Alibaba, draws 70% of its total revenue from domestic operations and an additional 7% from international commerce. The firm also has a growing cloud division, similar to Amazon's, accounting for 9% of its revenues. The remaining revenues are generated from its digital media and distribution sectors. Throughout its growth, Alibaba would face industry titans such as eBay, and Amazon themselves, but emerge on top - creating the next wave of China billionare dragons. In Ep 1. We'll learn the humble life and painful experiences that turn Alibaba founder, Jack Ma into a global icon. In Ep 2. We'll follow the establishment (Joe Tsai, John Wu, Savio Kwan), rise then repercussion of Alibaba's ambitions as the dot com recession came smashing in. In Ep 3. We'll witness the intense war games between Alibaba and eBay, that birthed Taobao & Alipay (Ant Financial). In Ep 4. We'll observe the major mistep that eBay made, and the controversial deal that turned Alibaba into a billion dollar enterprise. In Ep 5. We'll behold the final transformation of Alibaba - that formed what experts call the iron triangle; dominating in e-commerce, mobile payments and supply chain. In Ep 6. We'll speak to both Cynthia Ding (Founder Partner of Yincubator) and Jeremy Au (VC & Chief of Staff for Monk's Hill Ventures) to learn more about their involvement in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee -
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Alibaba (CN) | Shark in the Ocean | 3
Alibaba is the Amazon of China, who's annual active user base is equivalent to the entire population of India. Alibaba, draws 70% of its total revenue from domestic operations and an additional 7% from international commerce. The firm also has a growing cloud division, similar to Amazon's, accounting for 9% of its revenues. The remaining revenues are generated from its digital media and distribution sectors. Throughout its growth, Alibaba would face industry titans such as eBay, and Amazon themselves, but emerge on top - creating the next wave of China billionare dragons. In Ep 1. We'll learn the humble life and painful experiences that turn Alibaba founder, Jack Ma into a global icon. In Ep 2. We'll follow the establishment (Joe Tsai, John Wu, Savio Kwan), rise then repercussion of Alibaba's ambitions as the dot com recession came smashing in. In Ep 3. We'll witness the intense war games between Alibaba and eBay, that birthed Taobao & Alipay (Ant Financial). In Ep 4. We'll observe the major mistep that eBay made, and the controversial deal that turned Alibaba into a billion dollar enterprise. In Ep 5. We'll behold the final transformation of Alibaba - that formed what experts call the iron triangle; dominating in e-commerce, mobile payments and supply chain. In Ep 6. We'll speak to both Cynthia Ding (Founder Partner of Yincubator) and Jeremy Au (VC & Chief of Staff for Monk's Hill Ventures) to learn more about their involvement in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Alibaba (CN) | Hidden Treasures | 2
Alibaba is the Amazon of China, who's annual active user base is equivalent to the entire population of India. Alibaba, draws 70% of its total revenue from domestic operations and an additional 7% from international commerce. The firm also has a growing cloud division, similar to Amazon's, accounting for 9% of its revenues. The remaining revenues are generated from its digital media and distribution sectors. Throughout its growth, Alibaba would face industry titans such as eBay, and Amazon themselves, but emerge on top - creating the next wave of China billionare dragons. In Ep 1. We'll learn the humble life and painful experiences that turn Alibaba founder, Jack Ma into a global icon. In Ep 2. We'll follow the establishment (Joe Tsai, John Wu, Savio Kwan), rise then repercussion of Alibaba's ambitions as the dot com recession came smashing in. In Ep 3. We'll witness the intense war games between Alibaba and eBay, that birthed Taobao & Alipay (Ant Financial). In Ep 4. We'll observe the major mistep that eBay made, and the controversial deal that turned Alibaba into a billion dollar enterprise. In Ep 5. We'll behold the final transformation of Alibaba - that formed what experts call the iron triangle; dominating in e-commerce, mobile payments and supply chain. In Ep 6. We'll speak to both Cynthia Ding (Founder Partner of Yincubator) and Jeremy Au (VC & Chief of Staff for Monk's Hill Ventures) to learn more about their involvement in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Alibaba (CN) | Open Sesame | 1
Alibaba is the Amazon of China, who's annual active user base is equivalent to the entire population of India. Alibaba, draws 70% of its total revenue from domestic operations and an additional 7% from international commerce. The firm also has a growing cloud division, similar to Amazon's, accounting for 9% of its revenues. The remaining revenues are generated from its digital media and distribution sectors. Throughout its growth, Alibaba would face industry titans such as eBay, and Amazon themselves, but emerge on top - creating the next wave of China billionare dragons. In Ep 1. We'll learn the humble life and painful experiences that turn Alibaba founder, Jack Ma into a global icon. In Ep 2. We'll follow the establishment (Joe Tsai, John Wu, Savio Kwan), rise then repercussion of Alibaba's ambitions as the dot com recession came smashing in. In Ep 3. We'll witness the intense war games between Alibaba and eBay, that birthed Taobao & Alipay (Ant Financial). In Ep 4. We'll observe the major mistep that eBay made, and the controversial deal that turned Alibaba into a billion dollar enterprise. In Ep 5. We'll behold the final transformation of Alibaba - that formed what experts call the iron triangle; dominating in e-commerce, mobile payments and supply chain. In Ep 6. We'll speak to both Cynthia Ding (Founder Partner of Yincubator) and Jeremy Au (VC & Chief of Staff for Monk's Hill Ventures) to learn more about their involvement in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Globe Telecom (PH) | Interview, Gcash CMO | 6
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era. In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu. In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT. In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns. In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
In Ep 6 (Guest). We speak to Gcash's Chief Marketing Officer, Neil Trinidad to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)
-
Our partner this week:

Globe Telecom (PH) | Interview, Maya CMO | 5
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era. In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu. In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT. In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns. In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
In Ep 6 (Guest). We speak to Gcash's Chief Marketing Officer, Neil Trinidad to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Globe Telecom (PH) | Fintech Wars: Gcash vs Maya | 4
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era. In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu. In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT. In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns. In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Globe Telecom (PH) | A World of Change | 3
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era. In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu. In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT. In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns. In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Globe Telecom (PH) | Finding Connection | 2
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era. In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu. In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT. In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns. In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Globe Telecom (PH) | An Astronomical Opponent | 1
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era. In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu. In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT. In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns. In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
😴🕯️"Bedtime True Crime", A calm and thoughtful look on the darkest narratives of men (Spotify/ Apple)
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Promotions, Episode Drop | The History of the Teochew People | The China History Podcast
Hi Empire listeners!
Today we've something special, we're doing an episode drop with our friend, Laszlo Montgomery from the China History Podcast.
There's alot of synergy because they cover the in-depth history of China and the Chinese, which gives brilliant context to our own podcast.
For example in ep 83 to 90 he covers the cultural revolution in-depth at a time of violence in China which actually shaped the thinking of Tencent's founder Pony Ma.
But there's also alot more, as Laszlo had been doing this for many years accumulating over 300 episodes for you to binge and learn about the history of China.
For today, we requested an episode that is one of his best, but more importantly incredibly relevant to any Southeast, East Asian Chinese - in this episode he talks about the history of the Teochew people, which I learnt takes up the bulk of diasporic Chinese, particularly in Thailand.
-
Find The China History Podcast on his Website, Twitter, Instagram

Samsung (KR) | Interview, Implications within Vietnam | 6
Samsung is a company that is too big to fail. It's business categories represent more than 20% of Korea's GDP, and close to 30% of Vietnam's. The Samsung that we know, Samsung Electronics is made of the consumer electronics segment (50%), semiconductors (30%), displays (10%) and connected home systems (10%).
But Samsung is actually a massive business empire, owned by a mysterious Lee family who is now at its 3rd generation of leaders. The Lee family, part of Korea's elite chaebols, had been a boon for authorities in the last 60 years and yet they are often creditted for Korea's phenomenal rise.
Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-Chul or B.C. Lee in 1938, and eventually the empire would grow so huge that it fracture into 4 other entities - Saehan, Hansol, Shinsegae and the CJ Group. But it would be the world of consumer electronics that they are most known for, eventually beating the likes of Sony in TV, possibly Apple in the smartphone, and broker deals in software with Google.
In Ep 1. We reveal the humble beginnings of B.C. Lee, and Samsung Sanghoe In Ep 2. We explain the political partnerships, and inter-family rivalry that shattered the original Samsung empire. In Ep 3. We meet Lee Kun-Hee, the 2nd generation Lee that would turn Samsung Electronics into the global behemoth that it is today. In Ep 4. We dive into the war on Sony for TVs (Bordeaux) and Apple on smartphones (Galaxy). In Ep 5. We continue exploring the smartphone wars, and Samsung's software gamble against Google (Android, Milk). In Ep 6. We meet Geoffrey Cain, Author of Samsung Rising and Mark Barnes from the Vietnam Briefing to explain the implications of Samsung within Vietnam.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee -
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Samsung (KR) | A Cosmic War Part 2 | 5
Samsung is a company that is too big to fail. It's business categories represent more than 20% of Korea's GDP, and close to 30% of Vietnam's. The Samsung that we know, Samsung Electronics is made of the consumer electronics segment (50%), semiconductors (30%), displays (10%) and connected home systems (10%).
But Samsung is actually a massive business empire, owned by a mysterious Lee family who is now at its 3rd generation of leaders. The Lee family, part of Korea's elite chaebols, had been a boon for authorities in the last 60 years and yet they are often creditted for Korea's phenomenal rise.
Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-Chul or B.C. Lee in 1938, and eventually the empire would grow so huge that it fracture into 4 other entities - Saehan, Hansol, Shinsegae and the CJ Group. But it would be the world of consumer electronics that they are most known for, eventually beating the likes of Sony in TV, possibly Apple in the smartphone, and broker deals in software with Google.
In Ep 1. We reveal the humble beginnings of B.C. Lee, and Samsung Sanghoe In Ep 2. We explain the political partnerships, and inter-family rivalry that shattered the original Samsung empire. In Ep 3. We meet Lee Kun-Hee, the 2nd generation Lee that would turn Samsung Electronics into the global behemoth that it is today. In Ep 4. We dive into the war on Sony for TVs (Bordeaux) and Apple on smartphones (Galaxy). In Ep 5. We continue exploring the smartphone wars, and Samsung's software gamble against Google (Android, Milk).
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Samsung (KR) | A Cosmic War Part 1 | 4
Samsung is a company that is too big to fail. It's business categories represent more than 20% of Korea's GDP, and close to 30% of Vietnam's.
The Samsung that we know, Samsung Electronics is made of the consumer electronics segment (50%), semiconductors (30%), displays (10%) and connected home systems (10%).
But Samsung is actually a massive business empire, owned by a mysterious Lee family who is now at its 3rd generation of leaders. The Lee family, part of Korea's elite chaebols, had been a boon for authorities in the last 60 years and yet they are often creditted for Korea's phenomenal rise.
Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-Chul or B.C. Lee in 1938, and eventually the empire would grow so huge that it fracture into 4 other entities - Saehan, Hansol, Shinsegae and the CJ Group. But it would be the world of consumer electronics that they are most known for, eventually beating the likes of Sony in TV, possibly Apple in the smartphone, and broker deals in software with Google.
In Ep 1. We reveal the humble beginnings of B.C. Lee, and Samsung Sanghoe In Ep 2. We explain the political partnerships, and inter-family rivalry that shattered the original Samsung empire. In Ep 3. We meet Lee Kun-Hee, the 2nd generation Lee that would turn Samsung Electronics into the global behemoth that it is today. In Ep 4. We dive into the war on Sony for TVs (Bordeaux) and Apple on smartphones (Galaxy). In Ep 5. We continue exploring the smartphone wars, and Samsung's software gamble against Google (Android, Milk).
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Samsung (KR) | The Power of the Son | 3
Samsung is a company that is too big to fail. It's business categories represent more than 20% of Korea's GDP, and close to 30% of Vietnam's. The Samsung that we know, Samsung Electronics is made of the consumer electronics segment (50%), semiconductors (30%), displays (10%) and connected home systems (10%).
But Samsung is actually a massive business empire, owned by a mysterious Lee family who is now at its 3rd generation of leaders. The Lee family, part of Korea's elite chaebols, had been a boon for authorities in the last 60 years and yet they are often creditted for Korea's phenomenal rise.
Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-Chul or B.C. Lee in 1938, and eventually the empire would grow so huge that it fracture into 4 other entities - Saehan, Hansol, Shinsegae and the CJ Group. But it would be the world of consumer electronics that they are most known for, eventually beating the likes of Sony in TV, possibly Apple in the smartphone, and broker deals in software with Google.
In Ep 1. We reveal the humble beginnings of B.C. Lee, and Samsung Sanghoe In Ep 2. We explain the political partnerships, and inter-family rivalry that shattered the original Samsung empire. In Ep 3. We meet Lee Kun-Hee, the 2nd generation Lee that would turn Samsung Electronics into the global behemoth that it is today. In Ep 4. We dive into the war on Sony for TVs (Bordeaux) and Apple on smartphones (Galaxy). In Ep 5. We continue exploring the smartphone wars, and Samsung's software gamble against Google (Android, Milk).
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If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Samsung (KR) | Fracturing the Celestial Body | 2
Samsung is a company that is too big to fail. It's business categories represent more than 20% of Korea's GDP, and close to 30% of Vietnam's. The Samsung that we know, Samsung Electronics is made of the consumer electronics segment (50%), semiconductors (30%), displays (10%) and connected home systems (10%).
But Samsung is actually a massive business empire, owned by a mysterious Lee family who is now at its 3rd generation of leaders. The Lee family, part of Korea's elite chaebols, had been a boon for authorities in the last 60 years and yet they are often creditted for Korea's phenomenal rise.
Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-Chul or B.C. Lee in 1938, and eventually the empire would grow so huge that it fracture into 4 other entities - Saehan, Hansol, Shinsegae and the CJ Group. But it would be the world of consumer electronics that they are most known for, eventually beating the likes of Sony in TV, possibly Apple in the smartphone, and broker deals in software with Google.
In Ep 1. We reveal the humble beginnings of B.C. Lee, and Samsung Sanghoe In Ep 2. We explain the political partnerships, and inter-family rivalry that shattered the original Samsung empire. In Ep 3. We meet Lee Kun-Hee, the 2nd generation Lee that would turn Samsung Electronics into the global behemoth that it is today. In Ep 4. We dive into the war on Sony for TVs (Bordeaux) and Apple on smartphones (Galaxy). In Ep 5. We continue exploring the smartphone wars, and Samsung's software gamble against Google (Android, Milk).
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Samsung (KR) | A Message in the Stars | 1
Samsung is a company that is too big to fail. It's business categories represent more than 20% of Korea's GDP, and close to 30% of Vietnam's. The Samsung that we know, Samsung Electronics is made of the consumer electronics segment (50%), semiconductors (30%), displays (10%) and connected home systems (10%).
But Samsung is actually a massive business empire, owned by a mysterious Lee family who is now at its 3rd generation of leaders. The Lee family, part of Korea's elite chaebols, had been a boon for authorities in the last 60 years and yet they are often creditted for Korea's phenomenal rise.
Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-Chul or B.C. Lee in 1938, and eventually the empire would grow so huge that it fracture into 4 other entities - Saehan, Hansol, Shinsegae and the CJ Group. But it would be the world of consumer electronics that they are most known for, eventually beating the likes of Sony in TV, possibly Apple in the smartphone, and broker deals in software with Google.
In Ep 1. We reveal the humble beginnings of B.C. Lee, and Samsung Sanghoe In Ep 2. We explain the political partnerships, and inter-family rivalry that shattered the original Samsung empire. In Ep 3. We meet Lee Kun-Hee, the 2nd generation Lee that would turn Samsung Electronics into the global behemoth that it is today. In Ep 4. We dive into the war on Sony for TVs (Bordeaux) and Apple on smartphones (Galaxy). In Ep 5. We continue exploring the smartphone wars, and Samsung's software gamble against Google (Android, Milk).
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Sony (JP) | Interview, Why Sony lost cultural relevance | 5
When you think of Sony, what products come to mind? Probably the Playstation, Headphones, maybe the Walkman.
Yet, cummulatively these business segments don't even make up 50% of Sony's revenue.
Curious? Here's a little breakdown for you - Games & Network Services (27%), Electronics Product and Solutions (23%), Insurance (15%), Movies (12%) and Music (11%)
This Japanese empire's beginning is forged from the rubble of World War 2 with 2 geniuses that inspired the modern day Apple - Masaru Ibuka the engineer and Akio Morita the business man. Both man would create a Japanese conglomerate that for a period of time, would dominate every sector within the consumer electronics company before Apple and Samsung stole the throne.
In Ep 1. We reveal the unbelievable confidence that Masaru Ibuka had in establishing Sony. In Ep 2. We unveil the businessman, Akio Morita that led Sony to become a global phenonmenon. In Ep 3. We follow both men as Sony ascended to become the dominant consumer electronics company in the world. In Ep 4. We join the Sony team as they released their greatest invention yet - the playstation...before learning the conditions that led to their ultimate decline. In Ep 5. We've a guest Matt Alt - the author of "Pure Invention - How Japan Made The Modern World". Today he'll share his perspective on Sony's global cultural significance, and how they lost relevance.
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We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
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Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Sony (JP) | Disconnected | 4
When you think of Sony, what products come to mind? Probably the Playstation, Headphones, maybe the Walkman.
Yet, cummulatively these business segments don't even make up 50% of Sony's revenue.
Curious? Here's a little breakdown for you - Games & Network Services (27%), Electronics Product and Solutions (23%), Insurance (15%), Movies (12%) and Music (11%)
This Japanese empire's beginning is forged from the rubble of World War 2 with 2 geniuses that inspired the modern day Apple - Masaru Ibuka the engineer and Akio Morita the business man. Both man would create a Japanese conglomerate that for a period of time, would dominate every sector within the consumer electronics company before Apple and Samsung stole the throne.
In Ep 1. We reveal the unbelievable confidence that Masaru Ibuka had in establishing Sony. In Ep 2. We unveil the businessman, Akio Morita that led Sony to become a global phenonmenon. In Ep 3. We follow both men as Sony ascended to become the dominant consumer electronics company in the world. In Ep 4. We join the Sony team as they released their greatest invention yet - the playstation...before learning the conditions that led to their ultimate decline.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Sony (JP) | Made in Japan | 3
When you think of Sony, what products come to mind? Probably the Playstation, Headphones, maybe the Walkman.
Yet, cummulatively these business segments don't even make up 50% of Sony's revenue.
Curious? Here's a little breakdown for you - Games & Network Services (27%), Electronics Product and Solutions (23%), Insurance (15%), Movies (12%) and Music (11%)
This Japanese empire's beginning is forged from the rubble of World War 2 with 2 geniuses that inspired the modern day Apple - Masaru Ibuka the engineer and Akio Morita the business man. Both man would create a Japanese conglomerate that for a period of time, would dominate every sector within the consumer electronics company before Apple and Samsung stole the throne.
In Ep 1. We reveal the unbelievable confidence that Masaru Ibuka had in establishing Sony. In Ep 2. We unveil the businessman, Akio Morita that led Sony to become a global phenonmenon. In Ep 3. We follow both men as Sony ascended to become the dominant consumer electronics company in the world. In Ep 4. We join the Sony team as they released their greatest invention yet - the playstation...before learning the conditions that led to their ultimate decline.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Sony (JP) | Akio Morita, The Businessman | 2
When you think of Sony, what products come to mind? Probably the Playstation, Headphones, maybe the Walkman.
Yet, cummulatively these business segments don't even make up 50% of Sony's revenue.
Curious? Here's a little breakdown for you - Games & Network Services (27%), Electronics Product and Solutions (23%), Insurance (15%), Movies (12%) and Music (11%)
This Japanese empire's beginning is forged from the rubble of World War 2 with 2 geniuses that inspired the modern day Apple - Masaru Ibuka the engineer and Akio Morita the business man. Both man would create a Japanese conglomerate that for a period of time, would dominate every sector within the consumer electronics company before Apple and Samsung stole the throne.
In Ep 1. We reveal the unbelievable confidence that Masaru Ibuka had in establishing Sony. In Ep 2. We unveil the businessman, Akio Morita that led Sony to become a global phenonmenon. In Ep 3. We follow both men as Sony ascended to become the dominant consumer electronics company in the world. In Ep 4. We join the Sony team as they released their greatest invention yet - the playstation...before learning the conditions that led to their ultimate decline.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Sony (JP) | Masaru Ibuka, The Engineer | 1
When you think of Sony, what products come to mind? Probably the Playstation, Headphones, maybe the Walkman.
Yet, cummulatively these business segments don't even make up 50% of Sony's revenue.
Curious? Here's a little breakdown for you - Games & Network Services (27%), Electronics Product and Solutions (23%), Insurance (15%), Movies (12%) and Music (11%)
This Japanese empire's beginning is forged from the rubble of World War 2 with 2 geniuses that inspired the modern day Apple - Masaru Ibuka the engineer and Akio Morita the business man. Both man would create a Japanese conglomerate that for a period of time, would dominate every sector within the consumer electronics company before Apple and Samsung stole the throne.
In Ep 1. We reveal the unbelievable confidence that Masaru Ibuka had in establishing Sony. In Ep 2. We unveil the businessman, Akio Morita that led Sony to become a global phenonmenon. In Ep 3. We follow both men as Sony ascended to become the dominant consumer electronics company in the world. In Ep 4. We join the Sony team as they released their greatest invention yet - the playstation...before learning the conditions that led to their ultimate decline.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Tencent (CN) | Guest, Implications across Southeast and East Asia region | 5
Tencent is a complicated company - the parent company of WeChat, the WhatsApp of China with over 1.2 billion users.
Tencent also owns, an entire entertainment arm, owning movie rights such as Terminator: Dark Fate, and a music group (Tencent Music Group) with 1.5 times the users of Spotify.
But its most profitable segment is on games, owning League of Legends, Clash of Clans and Honor of Kings.
This Chinese empire have humble and mystical beginnings that can be traced back to when a little carp, who's name was Tony Ma, decided to swim up stream to join the new wave of Chinese Billionaire Dragons.
In Ep 1. We tell the grueling rise of the founding team, creating QQ - the MSN of China In Ep 2. We detail the epic battle battle between QQ vs MSN that cemented Tencent as the Microsoft Killer In Ep 3. We breakdown its gaming empire that led to the highest revenue mobile game in the world - Honor of Kings In Ep 4. We learn about the rise of WeChat - the app that made Tencent famous, and China's tech crackdown that wiped trillions off the Chinese stock market
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Tencent (CN) | The Hand of the Jade Emperor | 4
Tencent is a complicated company - the parent company of WeChat, the WhatsApp of China with over 1.2 billion users.
Tencent also owns, an entire entertainment arm, owning movie rights such as Terminator: Dark Fate, and a music group (Tencent Music Group) with 1.5 times the users of Spotify.
But its most profitable segment is on games, owning League of Legends, Clash of Clans and Honor of Kings.
This Chinese empire have humble and mystical beginnings that can be traced back to when a little carp, who's name was Tony Ma, decided to swim up stream to join the new wave of Chinese Billionaire Dragons.
In Ep 1. We tell the grueling rise of the founding team, creating QQ - the MSN of China In Ep 2. We detail the epic battle battle between QQ vs MSN that cemented Tencent as the Microsoft Killer In Ep 3. We breakdown its gaming empire that led to the highest revenue mobile game in the world - Honor of Kings In Ep 4. We learn about the rise of WeChat - the app that made Tencent famous, and China's tech crackdown that wiped trillions off the Chinese stock market
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Tencent (CN) | Entertaining a Dragon | 3
Tencent is a complicated company - the parent company of WeChat, the WhatsApp of China with over 1.2 billion users.
Tencent also owns, an entire entertainment arm, owning movie rights such as Terminator: Dark Fate, and a music group (Tencent Music Group) with 1.5 times the users of Spotify.
But its most profitable segment is on games, owning League of Legends, Clash of Clans and Honor of Kings.
This Chinese empire have humble and mystical beginnings that can be traced back to when a little carp, who's name was Tony Ma, decided to swim up stream to join the new wave of Chinese Billionaire Dragons.
In Ep 1. We tell the grueling rise of the founding team, creating QQ - the MSN of China In Ep 2. We detail the epic battle battle between QQ vs MSN that cemented Tencent as the Microsoft Killer In Ep 3. We breakdown its gaming empire that led to the highest revenue mobile game in the world - Honor of Kings In Ep 4. We learn about the rise of WeChat - the app that made Tencent famous, and China's tech crackdown that wiped trillions off the Chinese stock market
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Tencent (CN) | Carp becomes Dragon | 2
Tencent is a complicated company - the parent company of WeChat, the WhatsApp of China with over 1.2 billion users.
Tencent also owns, an entire entertainment arm, owning movie rights such as Terminator: Dark Fate, and a music group (Tencent Music Group) with 1.5 times the users of Spotify.
But its most profitable segment is on games, owning League of Legends, Clash of Clans and Honor of Kings.
This Chinese empire have humble and mystical beginnings that can be traced back to when a little carp, who's name was Tony Ma, decided to swim up stream to join the new wave of Chinese Billionaire Dragons.
In Ep 1. We tell the grueling rise of the founding team, creating QQ - the MSN of China In Ep 2. We detail the epic battle battle between QQ vs MSN that cemented Tencent as the Microsoft Killer In Ep 3. We breakdown its gaming empire that led to the highest revenue mobile game in the world - Honor of Kings In Ep 4. We learn about the rise of WeChat - the app that made Tencent famous, and China's tech crackdown that wiped trillions off the Chinese stock market
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
😴🕯️"Bedtime True Crime", A calm and thoughtful look on the darkest narratives of men (Spotify/ Apple)
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)

Tencent (CN) | A Carp Swims Up the River | 1
Tencent is a complicated company - the parent company of WeChat, the WhatsApp of China with over 1.2 billion users.
Tencent also owns, an entire entertainment arm, owning movie rights such as Terminator: Dark Fate, and a music group (Tencent Music Group) with 1.5 times the users of Spotify.
But its most profitable segment is on games, owning League of Legends, Clash of Clans and Honor of Kings.
This Chinese empire have humble and mystical beginnings that can be traced back to when a little carp, who's name was Tony Ma, decided to swim up stream to join the new wave of Chinese Billionaire Dragons.
In Ep 1. We tell the grueling rise of the founding team, creating QQ - the MSN of China In Ep 2. We detail the epic battle battle between QQ vs MSN that cemented Tencent as the Microsoft Killer In Ep 3. We breakdown its gaming empire that led to the highest revenue mobile game in the world - Honor of Kings In Ep 4. We learn about the rise of WeChat - the app that made Tencent famous, and China's tech crackdown that wiped trillions off the Chinese stock market
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)