Morris Chang
Founder of TSMC and pioneer of the semiconductor foundry model.
Morris Chang Chung-mou (born July 10, 1931) is a Taiwanese billionaire and electrical engineer who founded Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). He is widely credited with creating Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. Chang introduced the foundry model for chip production, which turned TSMC into Taiwan’s largest company and a global leader in semiconductors. As of April 2026, Forbes estimates his net worth at $8.5 billion.
Chang was born in Ningbo, Chekiang, to a middle-class family. His father, a graduate of East China Normal University, worked as a finance official and later a bank manager. Because of his father’s job and the Second Sino-Japanese War, the family moved frequently—through Nanjing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Chongqing, and Shanghai. Chang spent most of his primary school years in British Hong Kong. After Japan occupied Hong Kong in 1941, his family returned to Shanghai and Ningbo, then settled in Chongqing. In 1948, during the Chinese Civil War, he moved back to Hong Kong.
After high school, Chang chose engineering because Hong Kong lacked science or technology universities. With help from an uncle who was a professor at Northeastern University, he applied to Harvard University and enrolled in July 1949. He was the only Chinese student among 1,100 undergraduates and ranked in the top ten percent of his class. He majored in applied physics and engineering sciences but transferred to MIT in his sophomore year for better career prospects. At MIT, he won a scholarship, worked as a copy typist and research assistant, took a maximum course load, and completed his undergraduate degree in two years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1952 and a Master of Science in 1953. After failing two doctoral qualifying exams, he left MIT without a PhD. In 1955, he turned down a job at Ford and joined Sylvania Semiconductor, working on germanium transistor yields. In 1958, he moved to Texas Instruments (TI), where he quickly became an engineering section manager. In 1961, TI sponsored his PhD, and he earned a doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1964, studying under John L. Moll, William E. Spicer, and Gerald Pearson. His dissertation focused on optical absorption and photoluminescence of doped gallium arsenide.
- Born
- July 10, 1931, Ningbo, Chekiang, China
- Field
- Business executive, electrical engineer
- Nationality
- Taiwanese (also American citizen since 1962)
- Known for
- Founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), pioneer of the semiconductor foundry model
Lore & Background
Morris Chang was born in Ningbo, Chekiang, in 1931 to a middle-class family. During his childhood, his family moved frequently due to his father's career and the Second Sino-Japanese War, living in Nanjing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Chongqing, and Shanghai. After high school, he moved to the United States, attending Harvard University before transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a bachelor's and a master's degree. He later earned a doctorate from Stanford University in 1964. Chang began his career as a semiconductor engineer at Sylvania Electric Products, then Texas Instruments, and in 1984 became president and chief operating officer of General Instrument.
In the 1980s, Chang moved to Taiwan to head the Industrial Technology Research Institut
Reader's Guide
Morris Chang's significance lies in his creation of the semiconductor foundry model, which revolutionized the global chip industry by allowing fabless companies to outsource manufacturing. Under his leadership, TSMC grew into the largest company in Taiwan and one of the world's most profitable semiconductor manufacturers. His career spanned decades at Texas Instruments, where he pioneered pricing strategies that sacrificed short-term profits for long-term market share. Chang's move to Taiwan in the 1980s and his founding of TSMC established the island as a critical hub for advanced chip production. His later skepticism about U.S. efforts to onshore chip manufacturing, expressed in a 2022 interview, highlighted the challenges of competing with TSMC's established efficiencies. Chang's legacy is that of a transformative figure who reshaped the semiconductor supply chain and enabled the rise of global tech giants.
Did You Know?
- Chang originally wanted to become a novelist or journalist, but his father persuaded him otherwise.
- Chang did not pass two consecutive doctoral qualification examinations at MIT and left without a PhD, later earning his doctorate from Stanford.
- He performed the role of Master Dragon in the first episode of the children's Chinese-learning program 'Let's Go Guang!' in 2009.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Morris Chang?
Morris Chang Chung-mou is a Taiwanese electrical engineer and business leader best known for establishing TSMC in 1987. He is widely recognized as the architect behind Taiwan's rise as a global semiconductor powerhouse.
What is the semiconductor foundry model and how did Morris Chang create it?
The foundry model is a business approach in which one company fabricates chips designed by other firms rather than producing its own branded processors. Chang pioneered this separation of design and manufacturing, allowing TSMC to serve virtually every major chip designer worldwide.
Where and when was Morris Chang born?
Chang was born on July 10, 1931, in Ningbo, Chekiang Province, China, into a middle-class household. His father worked in finance and later in banking.
How much is Morris Chang worth?
As of April 2026, Forbes estimates his personal fortune at roughly $8.5 billion. Much of that wealth traces back to his long-held equity stake in TSMC.
Why is Morris Chang considered so important to the tech industry?
By founding TSMC and championing the pure-play foundry concept, he effectively built the backbone of modern global chip manufacturing. His model transformed a small island nation into the world's most critical semiconductor hub.
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