Joseph Tsai

Tsai was born in Taipei, Taiwan, to Paul C. Tsai ({{lang-zh|t=蔡中曾|poj=Chhòa Tiong-cheng}}, d.2013), a second-generation lawyer, and Ruby Tsai. He has three younger siblings: Eva, Vivian, and Benjamin.

Tsai's grandfather, Ruchin Tsar, left the Chinese mainland in 1948, part of the Kuomintang exodus of millions fleeing the communists as the country's civil war ended. Tsar had been an adviser to the Kuomintang government of nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, who, in the aftermath of the war, established the Republic of China as a one-party state in Taiwan.{{Cite news |last=Boudway |first=Ira |date=January 22, 2020 |title=Nets Owner Joe Tsai Is Caught Between Brooklyn and Beijing |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-01-22/nets-owner-joe-tsai-on-brooklyn-beijing-the-hong-kong-protests |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220403174527/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-01-22/nets-owner-joe-tsai-on-brooklyn-beijing-the-hong-kong-protests |archive-date=2022-04-03 |access-date=2025-04-06 |work=Bloomberg |language=en}}

At age 13, Tsai was sent to the U.S. to attend the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where he played both lacrosse and football (inside linebacker) and was a member of Cleve House.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}} Tsai enrolled at his father's alma mater, Yale University, in fall 1982. He played for the Yale varsity lacrosse team for four years and has remained a supporter of the team.{{Cite news|last=Higgins|first=Laine|date=15 February 2021|title=The Ivy League Is Still on the Sidelines. Wealthy Alumni Are Not Happy.|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ivy-league-is-still-on-the-sidelines-wealthy-alumni-are-not-happy-11613397614|access-date=9 August 2021|issn=0099-9660|url-access=subscription}}

In 1986, Tsai earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in economics and East Asian studies from Yale University. He then earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Yale Law School, where he was articles editor of the Yale Law & Policy Review, in 1990.{{Cite web|url=http://ylpr.yale.edu/sites/default/files/mastheads/masthead_8_1.pdf|title=YLPR Masthead Issue 8.1}}

Tsai became a tax associate at the white-shoe law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell after graduation{{cite web|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/01/13/the-man-behind-alibabas-eventual-i-p-o/|title=The Man Behind Alibaba's Eventual I.P.O.|first=Andrew Ross|last=Sorkin|website=The New York Times|date=14 January 2014 |access-date=16 March 2018}} and was admitted as an attorney to the New York bar on 6 May 1991.{{Cite web|url=https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/attorney/AttorneyDetails?attorneyId=XIraymWJ8MxZLv7U0usnrg==|title=Attorney Online Services - Search Updated}} After three years at the law firm, he switched to private equity and joined Rosecliff, Inc., a small management buyout firm based in New York, as vice president and general counsel. He left for Hong Kong in 1995 to join the Swedish Wallenberg family's investment conglomerate Investor AB, where he was responsible for its Asian private equity investments.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/26/joe-tsai.html|title=Joe Tsai|first=CNBC.com|last=staff|date=26 July 2016|publisher=CNBC|access-date=17 March 2018}}

It was in this role that he first met Jack Ma in 1999 in Hangzhou after being introduced by a friend who was trying to sell his own company to Ma. Tsai was impressed with Ma's idea to create an international import and export marketplace, as well as his charismatic personality, but it was Ma's followers and their energy and enthusiasm that ultimately convinced Tsai.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2014/01/08/inside-alibaba-vice-chairman-joe-tsai-opens-up-about-working-with-jack-ma-and-jonathan-lu/|title=Inside Alibaba: Vice Chairman Joe Tsai Opens Up About Working With Jack Ma And Jonathan Lu|first=Russell|last=Flannery|website=Forbes|access-date=17 March 2018}} Later that year he quit the $700,000-a-year job at Investor AB and offered to join Ma as a member of the founding team. At the time each of Alibaba's 18 cofounders—of which Tsai was the only Western-educated member—accepted a salary of only $600 a year. He was chief operating officer, chief financial officer, executive vice chairman and founding board member. He single-handedly established Alibaba's financial and legal structure, since no other member of the team had any experience in venture capital or law. He was Alibaba's executive vice chairman since May 2013 and became chairman of the company in September 2023.{{Cite web |last=He |first=Laura |date=2023-06-20 |title=Alibaba names new chairman and CEO in major shakeup {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/20/tech/alibaba-chairman-ceo-succession-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=CNN |language=en}} He has become the second-largest individual shareholder of Alibaba after Ma.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=429187&privcapId=42083601|title=Chung Tsai: Executive Profile & Biography |publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|access-date=17 March 2018}} In 2025, he remained Alibaba Group chairman.{{Citation |last=Robinson |first=Dan |date=March 25, 2025 |title=Alibaba exec warns of overheating AI infrastructure market |publisher=The Register |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/25/alibaba_ai_infrastructure/ |access-date=March 27, 2025}} Tsai's net worth in 2022 was estimated to be US$8.1 billion.{{cite web|title=Joseph Tsai |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/joseph-tsai/ |work=Forbes |access-date=7 September 2022}} In 2025, he was ranked #8 on Forbes list of Hong Kong's 50 Richest, with an estimated net worth of $11.8 billion.{{Citation |title=Joseph Tsai |date=March 28, 2025 |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/joseph-tsai/ |access-date=March 28, 2025 |publisher=Forbes}}

In September 2019, Tsai became the owner of the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA and chairman of Barclays Center. He initially invested in the NBA team in October 2017, purchasing a 49% stake in the Nets from Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov in a deal that valued the team at $2.3 billion, with the option to buy the remaining stake of the team no later than 2021.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-27/alibaba-s-tsai-said-to-purchase-nba-s-nets-in-2-3-billion-deal|title=Alibaba's Joe Tsai Purchases Brooklyn Nets in $2.3 Billion Deal|date=27 October 2017|access-date=12 January 2018|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.}}{{cite web|url=https://www.netsdaily.com/2018/2/18/17025964/sources-prokhorov-tsai-deal-likely-to-be-closed-announced-soon|title=Tsai deal close but not done, say Nets|website=netsdaily.com |date=19 February 2018|access-date=17 March 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2018/02/20/alibabas-joseph-tsai-closes-deal-for-49-of-brooklyn-nets/|title=Alibaba's Joseph Tsai Reportedly Closes Deal For 49% Of Brooklyn Nets|last=Ozanian|first=Mike|website=Forbes|access-date=17 March 2018}} Tsai exercised that option in August 2019, and at the same time, bought the Nets' arena from Prokhorov for nearly $1 billion in a separate deal.{{Cite web|last=reports|first=NBA media|title=Joseph Tsai to buy rest of Nets from Mikhail Prokhorov|url=http://www.nba.com/article/2019/08/14/report-joseph-tsai-buy-nets-23-billion|access-date=3 August 2020|website=NBA.com|language=en}}

Tsai's ownership in the Nets includes the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League and the Nets Gaming Crew of the NBA 2K League. In January 2019, Tsai headed a group that bought the WNBA's New York Liberty from the Madison Square Garden Company.{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/25832607/brooklyn-nets-minority-owner-joseph-tsai-buys-wnba-new-york-liberty |title=Nets minority owner Joseph Tsai buys WNBA's Liberty |agency=Associated Press |website=ESPN.com |date=25 January 2019 |access-date=25 January 2019}} In 2024, he sold 15% of BSE Global, the owner of the Brooklyn Nets, to Julia Koch for around $700 million. In 2025, he remained BSE chairman and Nets governor. BSE also owned operating rights to Barclays Center and the New York Liberty.{{Citation |last=Ho |first=Jane |date=February 26, 2025 |title=Alibaba Cofounder Reaps Gains From Backing NBA Team |publisher=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/janeho/2025/02/26/alibaba-cofounder-reaps-gains-from-backing-nba-team/ |access-date=March 28, 2025}}

Tsai played varsity lacrosse at Yale, and is also an avid supporter of the sport of lacrosse. He is the owner of the San Diego Seals, and a co-owner of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, both of which are professional box lacrosse teams in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Tsai co-owns the Desert Dogs with Wayne Gretzky, Dustin Johnson, and Steve Nash.{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/NLL/photos/a.381972978317/10158418023563318/ |website=www.facebook.com}}{{Cite web |title=Joe Tsai Buying National Lacrosse League Expansion Team in Las Vegas |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/joe-tsai-buying-national-lacrosse-095548497.html |website=sports.yahoo.com|date=26 May 2021 }}{{Cite web |date=21 June 2021 |title=NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE AWARDS LAS VEGAS 15th FRANCHISE, ANNOUNCES WAYNE GRETZKY, DUSTIN JOHNSON, STEVE NASH, AND JOE TSAI AS CO-OWNERS |url=https://www.nll.com/news/national-lacrosse-league-awards-las-vegas-15th-franchise-announces-wayne-gretzky-dustin-johnson-steve-nash-and-joe-tsai-as-co-owners/ |access-date=31 March 2022 |website=NLL |language=en-US}}

He is also chairman of J Tsai Sports with investments in the upstart field lacrosse league, the Premier Lacrosse League and several sports media and technology companies based in North America and Asia. Tsai made his investment in the Premier Lacrosse League in February 2019, along with the Chernin Group and the Raine Group, helping fund the new lacrosse league founded by lacrosse player Paul Rabil and his brother Mike Rabil.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-12/rabil-s-lacrosse-league-gets-investment-from-alibaba-billionaire|title=Rabil's Lacrosse League Gets Investment From Alibaba Billionaire|author=Scott Soshnick|date=12 February 2019|publisher=Bloomberg.com|access-date=25 July 2019}}

In March 2018, Tsai joined a Michael Rubin-led group to buy the Carolina Panthers.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-14/alibaba-s-tsai-said-to-join-rubin-led-bid-for-nfl-s-panthers|title=Alibaba's Tsai Joins Rubin-Led Bid for NFL's Panthers|date=14 March 2018|access-date=17 March 2018|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.}} The bid was ultimately unsuccessful.{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=David |date=9 July 2018 |title=Tepper 'thrilled' to finally purchase Panthers |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24049997/sale-panthers-david-tepper-finalized |access-date=15 November 2022 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}

Tsai is also an investor in Major League Soccer franchise Los Angeles FC.{{cite web|url=https://www.lafc.com/club/ownership|title=Ownership|website=www.lafc.com|date=10 March 2020}}{{cite news|last=Novy-Williams|first=Eben|title=LAFC, Target Ink First Sleeve Sponsorship in Major League Soccer|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-10/lafc-target-ink-first-sleeve-sponsorship-in-major-league-soccer|publisher=Bloomberg News|date=10 October 2019|access-date=10 October 2019}}

In 2022, Tsai led an investment round in Just Women's Sports, an American media company dedicated to women's sports.{{Cite news |date=2022-06-09 |title=Billionaire Joe Tsai, Billie Jean King Back Just Women's Sports |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-09/billionaire-joe-tsai-billie-jean-king-back-just-women-s-sports |access-date=2023-10-13}}

File:Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai at the 2024 NY Liberty Ticker Tape Parade.jpg

He is married to Clara Wu Tsai, a granddaughter of {{ill|Wu San-lien|zh|吳三連}}, the first elected mayor of Taipei City.{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-08-24/how-lacrosse-playing-yalie-tsai-became-alibaba-s-mega-dealmaker|title=How Tsai Went From Yale Lacrosse Fields to Alibaba Mega-Deals|website=Bloomberg|date=24 August 2014 |access-date=3 November 2017}} Tsai and Wu have three children.{{cite web|url=https://gostanford.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=12847|title=Alex Tsai - 2018 Women's Lacrosse Roster - Stanford University|website=gostanford.com |access-date=17 March 2018}} Tsai's family now primarily resides in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California.{{cite web |last=Acee |first=Kevin |date=27 October 2017 |title=Is Joe Tsai the man to Net another big-league team for San Diego? |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/columnists/kevin-acee/sd-sp-acee-joe-tsai-nba-nhl-san-diego-1028-story.html |access-date=17 March 2018 |website=sandiegouniontribune.com}} Tsai primarily resides in Hong Kong and spends much of his time there for business.{{cite web |last=Woo |first=Stu |date=1 November 2019 |title=New Nets Owner Joe Tsai's Views on China Bring U.S. Backlash |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-nets-owner-joe-tsai-is-caught-in-the-middle-of-nba-china-conflict-11572617779 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191231054421/https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-nets-owner-joe-tsai-is-caught-in-the-middle-of-nba-china-conflict-11572617779 |archive-date=31 December 2019 |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=The Wall Street Journal}} In January 2022, Tsai paid $188 million for a penthouse at 220 Central Park South.[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-19/joe-tsai-s-family-office-pays-188-million-for-och-ny-penthouse “Joe Tsai’s family office pays $188M for Dan Och’s penthouse”]

On 7 October 2019, Tsai weighed in after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet supporting protesters in Hong Kong.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3031842/brooklyn-nets-owner-joe-tsai-weighs-houston-rockets-storm-saying|title=Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai weighs in on Houston Rockets storm|date=7 October 2019|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=14 October 2019}} In an open letter to all NBA fans on his Facebook page, Tsai explained, with reference to historical foreign invasions of China, that Morey's tweet triggered a strong negative sentiment in China against territorial losses, especially those perceived to have been caused or escalated by foreign entities, and separatist movements.{{Cite web |title=Nets owner Joe Tsai posts lengthy open letter about Daryl Morey situation - Sportsnet.ca |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/nets-owner-joe-tsai-posts-lengthy-open-letter-daryl-morey-situation/ |access-date=13 June 2022 |website=www.sportsnet.ca}}{{cite news|url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/sports/joe-tsai-nets-alibaba-hong-kong-tweet|title=Joe Tsai, Brooklyn Nets owner and Alibaba co-founder, blasts NBA GM's pro-Hong Kong tweet|date=7 October 2019|work=Fox Business}}{{cite news |title=James Harden says 'we love China;' Nets owner Joe Tsai weighs in on Morey tweet |url=https://nba.nbcsports.com/2019/10/07/james-harden-says-we-love-china-nets-owner-joe-tsai-weighs-in-on-morey-tweet/ |work=NBC Sport |date=7 October 2019}}

In March 2016, Tsai donated $30 million to his alma mater, Yale Law School, in honor of his father to support the continuing work of the Law School's China Center and renamed it Paul Tsai China Center.{{cite web|url=https://law.yale.edu/yls-today/news/china-center-receives-30-million-gift-honor-dr-paul-tsai|title=China Center Receives $30 Million Gift in Honor of Dr. Paul Tsai|website=law.yale.edu|date=21 March 2016 |access-date=17 March 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2016/03/28/law-school-receives-30-million-donation-to-rename-china-center/|title=Law school receives $30 million donation to rename China Center|website=yaledailynews.com |date=28 March 2016|access-date=17 March 2018}}

In May 2017, Tsai and his wife, through the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation, made another donation to Yale for the construction, launch, and programs of the center and named it Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking.{{cite web|url=https://news.yale.edu/2017/05/18/yale-announces-tsai-center-innovative-thinking|title=Yale announces Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking|date=18 May 2017|website=yale.edu|access-date=17 March 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.city.yale.edu|title=Homepage|website=Yale Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking|access-date=17 March 2018}}

In June 2017, the Tsais, again through the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation, made a donation to his high school, the Lawrenceville School, in Mercer County, New Jersey, which was the single largest gift the school ever received.{{cite web|url=https://www.lawrenceville.org/page/alumni-news?pk=890198|title=Lawrenceville School Receives Major Gift to Launch Strategic Campus Initiatives|date=21 June 2017|website=lawrenceville.org|access-date=16 March 2018}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url=https://patch.com/new-jersey/lawrenceville/lawrenceville-school-alum-makes-single-largest-donation-schools-history|title=Lawrenceville School Alum Makes Single Largest Donation In School's History|date=22 June 2017|website=patch.com |access-date=17 March 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://planetprinceton.com/2017/06/21/lawrenceville-school-receives-largest-gift-in-207-year-history/|title=Lawrenceville School receives largest gift in 207-year history|date=21 June 2017|work=Planet Princeton|access-date=12 January 2018}} Tsai is a member of Lawrenceville's board of trustees.{{cite web|url=https://www.lawrenceville.org/page/about/governance|title=Governance - The Lawrenceville School - Private Boarding & Day School - The Lawrenceville School|website=lawrenceville.org|access-date=17 March 2018}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In late March and early April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tsais donated 2.6 million masks, 170,000 goggles and 2,000 ventilators to New York.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/04/tech/joe-tsai-clara-donate-masks-ventilators-new-york/index.html|title=Billionaire Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai donates ventilators and masks to New York|author=Cristina Alesci and Shannon Liao|website=CNN|date=4 April 2020 |access-date=5 April 2020}} On 20 April 2020, they donated $1.6 million in medical supplies to UC San Diego to be used and shared with the region's health care systems and hospitals.{{Cite web |last=Union-Tribune |first=Gary Robbins {{!}} The San Diego |date=2020-04-20 |title=Billionaire Joseph Tsai gives San Diego $1.6 million in critical medical supplies to fight Covid-19 |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2020/04/20/billionaire-joseph-tsai-gives-san-diego-16-million-in-critical-medical-supplies-to-fight-covid-19/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}}

In August 2020, the Tsais donated $50 million to social justice and economic equality initiatives to support BIPOC causes.{{Cite web|last=Lucking|first=Liz|title=Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai Donate $50 Million to Social Justice and Economic Equality for BIPOC|url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/joe-tsai-and-clara-wu-tsai-donate-50-million-to-social-justice-and-economic-quality-for-bipoc-01598471184|access-date=9 October 2020|website=www.barrons.com|language=en-US}}

In late 2020, the Tsais committed to contribute $50 million to Lincoln Center and the New York Philharmonic to facilitate the accelerated acoustical renovation of David Geffen Hall. On 3 August 2022, Lincoln Center and the New York Philharmonic announced the naming of the concert hall as the Wu Tsai Theater, as well as the naming of a Wu Tsai Series of concerts celebrating interdisciplinary works from diverse voices.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/arts/music/geffen-hall-theater-joseph-tsai-clara-wu-tsai.html|title=Theater at Geffen Hall to Be Named for Two Key Donors|website=New York Times|date=3 August 2022|access-date=13 October 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/lincoln-center-new-york-philharmonic-announce-50-million-gift|title=Lincoln Center, New York Philharmonic announce $50 million gift|website=Philanthropy Digest|date=5 August 2022|access-date=13 October 2022}}

In February 2021, the Tsais made a donation to Yale University to establish the Wu Tsai Institute, focused on to the study of human cognition.{{Cite web|url=https://news.yale.edu/2021/02/16/yale-new-neuroscience-institute-unravel-mysteries-cognition|title=At Yale, new neuroscience institute to unravel the mysteries of cognition|website=news.yale.edu|date=16 February 2021|access-date=25 August 2021}}

In July 2021, the Tsais debuted the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance and pledged $220 million to the foundation to fund teams of experts and academics from Stanford University, the University of Kansas, the University of Oregon, University of California, San Diego, Boston Children's Hospital and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbertoni/2021/07/21/alibaba-cofounder-and-brooklyn-nets-owner-launches-220-million-alliance-for-athletic-moon-shots/|title=Alibaba Cofounder And Brooklyn Nets Owner Launches $220 Million Alliance For Athletic Moon Shots|author=Steven Bertoni|date=21 July 2017|website=forbes.com|access-date=25 August 2021}}

In 2017, Tsai received the George H.W. Bush '48 Lifetime of Leadership Award from Yale University.{{Cite web|url=https://yalebulldogs.com/news/2017/11/17/11_17_2017_799.aspx|title=Bush Lifetime Of Leadership Awards Presented At Blue Leadership Ball|website=Yale University|date=17 November 2017 |language=en|access-date=14 October 2019}}

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