TAIPEI (Reuters) – Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of Apple (NASDAQ:) major supplier Foxconn, made his first high-profile appearance in months on Tuesday at the company’s 50th anniversary, following the end of his bid to become Taiwan’s president late last year.
Gou, who stepped down as a Foxconn executive in 2019 and stepped down as a board member last September, remains the company’s largest shareholder and company executives still reverently refer to him as “Founder.”
He abandoned his latest bid to become Taiwan’s president in late November after failing to strike a deal to unite the island’s fractious opposition ahead of January elections, and has largely disappeared from view, although he did visit the temple last month.
Foxconn said in a statement on Wednesday that Gou attended a gala in Taipei to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, an event also attended in person by Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, SoftBank (TYO:) founder and CEO Masayoshi Son and ARM CEO . Renee Haas.
“Over the past 50 years, Foxconn has made a difference in the lives of millions of workers, their families and communities. As a founder, this is what I am most proud of,” the company quoted Gou as saying.
Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer and the largest assembler of Apple’s iPhone, said Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia (NASDAQ:) CEO Jensen Huang and Intel (NASDAQ:) CEO Pat Gelsinger sent pre-recorded congratulations on the shutdown event. .
Foxconn Chairman Liu Yang-wei said the holiday was dedicated to Gou.
“Tonight we are among friends who are long-time customers and suppliers,” Liu was quoted as saying in the statement. “This evening is for you. It’s Terry’s night.”
Foxconn, formally called Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, is aiming to move beyond assembling smartphones and other electronics into making electric vehicles.
Foxconn said some guests were driven to the event in a Model C vehicle developed by Foxconn, which is now in mass production.