Joseph Phua
{{Short description|Singaporean entrepreneur}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Joseph Phua
| image = Portrait of Joseph Phua.jpg
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Singapore
| education = {{Unbulleted list | Bachelor of Finance from New York University Stern School of Business,| Master of Business Administration from University of Chicago Booth School of Business
}}
| occupation = {{Unbulleted list | Chairman of Turn Capital| Co-founder and Chairman of 17LIVE Group | Chairman of SoundOn Group | Founder of Nextapple News
}}
| known_for = Chairman of Turn Capital
}}
Joseph Phua is a Singaporean-Taiwanese entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of the dating app Paktor{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Pooja |date=2018-12-11 |title=The App That is Helping People in Asia Find Love, One Swipe At A Time |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-au/lifestyle/the-app-that-is-helping-people-in-asia-find-love-one-swipe/324579 |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Entrepreneur |language=en}} and co-founder and chairman of the live streaming platform 17LIVE Group. He is also the founder of {{Ill|Next Apple News|zh|壹苹新闻网}}{{Cite web |title=17LIVE founder launches news site following failed Apple Online bid - Focus Taiwan |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202208300033 |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Focus Taiwan - CNA English News |date=30 August 2022 |language=en-US}} and chairman of the single family office Turn Capital.{{Cite web |last=Abudheen K |first=Sainul |title=Joseph Phua's Turn Capital acquires Dapp Pocket to create SEA-focused retail crypto exchange |url=https://e27.co/joseph-phuas-turn-capital-acquires-dapp-pocket-to-create-sea-focused-retail-crypto-exchange-20210505/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=e27 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-03-16 |title=We discuss podcasts and audio-entertainment with Joseph Phua from Turn Capital |url=http://techcollectivesea.com/2021/03/16/we-discuss-podcasts-and-audio-entertainment-with-joseph-phua-from-turn-capital/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Tech Collective |language=en-GB}}
Education
Phua attended Stern School of Business, New York University, majoring in Finance for his undergraduate degree.{{Cite web |last=Sabina |date=2021-08-19 |title=首次創業遇上危機，卻沒想過放棄 Chicago Booth Joseph：不留後路，才能持續思考及成長 |url=https://sabinahuang.com/chicago-booth-class-of-2013-joseph-phua-entrepreneur-paktor-turn-capital/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Sabina Huang |language=zh-TW}} He obtained a master's degree in Business Administration from Booth School of Business, University of Chicago. After graduation, he worked at McKinsey & Company and Citibank.{{Cite web |last=Edmund |first=Simons |date=2014-12-22 |title=Interview With Paktor Founder Joseph Phua, Looking To Build Asia's IAC - Global Dating Insights |url=https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/uncategorised/22122014-interview-with-joseph-phua-the-founder-of-paktor-asias-tinder/,%20https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/uncategorised/22122014-interview-with-joseph-phua-the-founder-of-paktor-asias-tinder/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |language=en-GB}}
Career
Phua is the founder of Paktor, a mobile dating app targeting Asia markets he launched in 2014.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-29 |title=Ministry urged to foil Apple Online deal - Taipei Times |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2022/06/29/2003780783 |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=www.taipeitimes.com}} He was inspired by the dating app Tinder that he used while attending the University of Chicago in 2012.{{Cite web |last=Holliday |first=Katie |date=2014-08-29 |title=Singapore entrepreneur turns heartache into cash |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/08/29/singapore-entrepreneur-turns-heartache-into-cash.html |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=CNBC |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Wei |first=Chong Seow |date=March 10, 2020 |title=M17 Entertainment Group's Joseph Phua On The Lessons That Shaped His Leadership Approach |url=https://www.tatlerasia.com/power-purpose/business/gent-joseph-phua-m17-entertainment-group |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Tatler Asia |language=en}}
In 2017, Phua merged Paktor with 17 Media, a live streaming platform founded by Jeffrey Huang, to form M17 Entertainment.{{Cite web |last=Ellis |first=Jack |date=18 June 2019 |title=M17’s ill-fated IPO: CEO reveals all |url=https://www.techinasia.com/m17s-illfated-ipo-ceo-reveals |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Tech in Asia |language=en-US}} After the merger, Phua became the CEO of M17 Entertainment.{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Jon |date=2017-04-26 |title=Paktor, a major rival to Tinder in Asia, moves into live-streaming via merger deal |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/26/paktor-merges-with-taiwans-17-media/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} In 2020, he resigned as the CEO{{Cite web |last=Cordon |first=Miguel |date=17 August 2020 |title=M17 co-founder Joseph Phua steps down as group CEO |url=https://www.techinasia.com/joseph-phua-steps-m17-group-ceo |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Tech in Asia |language=en-US}} and assumed the role of chairman and the group was renamed 17LIVE Group.{{Cite web |last=Chew |first=Ryan |date=2022-04-19 |title=Evie Zhang wants to demystify crypto with OMO |url=https://www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg/interviews/crypto-finance-covid-pandemic-omo-coinomo-defi-temasek-razer/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=The Peak Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-01-26 |title=17LIVE GROUP REAPPOINTS CO-FOUNDER JOSEPH PHUA AS CEO AND EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN |url=https://about.17.live/pressrelease/17live-group-reappoints-co-founder-joseph-phua-as-ceo-and-executive-chairman/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=17LIVE |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-10-28 |title=M17 Entertainment Limited changes its name to 17LIVE Inc. with new logo |url=https://about.17.live/pressrelease/m17-entertainment-limited-changes-its-name-to-17live-inc-with-new-logo/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=17LIVE |language=en-US}} Phua is said to be 17LIVE's largest individual shareholder{{Cite web |last=壹蘋新聞網 |date=2023-10-02 |title=17LIVE將在新加坡上市！交易市值273億 龍丞宣布投資亞洲新創15億｜壹蘋新聞網 |url=https://tw.nextapple.com/finance/20231002/789D6BFD95A35AFCF71C92F8C3F060E9 |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=Nextapple |language=zh-Hant-TW}} after the company went public on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 2023.{{Cite web |title=VTAC to combine with livestreaming operator 17Live at S$1.2 billion valuation |url=https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/vtac-combine-livestreaming-operator-17live-s12-billion-valuation |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=www.businesstimes.com.sg|date=2 October 2023 }} In 2019, Phua was selected by Asian fashion media Tatler as a Generation T (Gen.T) award recipient.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-09 |title=Joseph Phua {{!}} Generation T |url=https://generationt.asia/people/joseph-phua |access-date=2023-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909172833/https://generationt.asia/people/joseph-phua |archive-date=2022-09-09 }}
In 2021, Phua's family investment office, Turn Capital, acquired the podcast platform SoundOn and merged it with the voice social service Goodnight.{{Cite web |title=Kollective Ventures and Joseph Phua's family office acquire SoundOn, a Taiwanese startup with 35M monthly podcast downloads｜Meet Global |url=https://meet-global.bnext.com.tw/articles/view/47319 |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=meet-global.bnext.com.tw |language=en}} The same year, he also acquired Dapp Pocket and Cappuu of a Taiwanese blockchain company.{{Cite web |title=Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem |url=https://www.techinasia.com/family-office-17lives-joseph-phua-acquires-taiwanese-blockchain-firm-dapp-pocket |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=www.techinasia.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-05-19 |title=Turn Capital Acquires Blockchain Startup Dapp Pocket |url=https://www.enterpriseitnews.com.my/turn-capital-acquires-blockchain-startup-dapp-pocket/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Enterprise IT News |language=en-US}} The two companies, Dapp Pocket and Cappuu, were later merged into a retail blockchain finance platform Coinomo.{{Cite web |title=Joseph Phua's Turn Capital acquires Dapp Pocket to create SEA-focused retail crypto exchange |url=https://news.nestia.com/detail_share/6622332?media_type=1 |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=news.nestia.com}}
In September 2022, Phua founded {{Ill|Next Apple News|zh|壹苹新闻网}},{{Cite web |last=Strong |first=Matthew |date=2022-08-30 |title=Singapore businessman launches new Next Apple news network in Taiwan {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2022-08-30 14:50:00 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4641990 |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Taiwan News}} an independent news platform in Taiwan.{{Cite web |last=Xiung |first=Chong Jinn |title=M17 Founder Joseph Phua Launches Next Apple News in Taiwan |url=https://www.tatlerasia.com/gen-t/leadership/joseph-phua-launches-next-apple-news-in-taiwan |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Tatler Asia |language=en}}
In December 2024 it was announced that Turnsport had made a financial association with Kings Lynn Football Club who play in the National League North, the 7th tier of England's Football pyramid.
Philanthropy
In 2021, Phua announced the establishment of the Phua and Chang Family Scholarship, a University of Chicago Booth School of Business endowment. The scholarship was first awarded to a student from Taiwan.{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-11-12 |title=Taiwan student awarded first 'Phua and Chang Family Scholarship' |url=https://asiapost.live/taiwan-student-awarded-first-phua-and-chang-family-scholarship/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Asia Post |language=en-US}}
Personal life
Phua has one child with his wife, whom he met through the Paktor app.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=How An App From Southeast Asia Is Helping People Find Love Online |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2016/12/19/how-an-app-from-southeast-asia-is-helping-people-find-love-online/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Forbes |language=en}}
References
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Category:Singaporean entertainment websites