Mr. John — visionary, entrepreneur, industrialist
Mr. John Gokongwei Jr. was our special guest in the stock exchange when JG Summit Holdings Corp (JGS) celebrated its 25th listing anniversary last year. When I was formally introduced to him, Mr. John said that he knew me and that he reads the Philequity Corner in The Philippine Star every Monday. Even at the age of 92, Mr. John appeared sharp as ever. I was amazed that Mr. John remembered that our articles come out on Mondays. A complex man In the eulogy that he delivered, James Go described his brother as a complex man. Mr. John was extremely frugal, but he donated billions to charity and educational institutions. Mr. John did not want to spend on himself, and yet he would buy the best equipment for his companies. A constant learner
Mr. John assumed responsibility as the family breadwinner after his father died when he was 13. Despite stopping school in his youth, Mr. John was an avid reader. James called his brother a constant learner. When something caught his fancy, Mr. John would absorb as much information as possible to understand how it works. On top of their normal interactions, James recounted that for many years, he had a scheduled weekly meeting with his brother. The meetings would last for a few hours. Mr. John was interested not only in business, but also in history, archaeology, technological trends, and the arts. The best schools in the world
When James said that he wanted to take up engineering in college, Mr. John asked him to attend the best engineering school in the country. When James did well in his first year in UP, Mr. John sent him to study in the best engineering school in the world, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Mr. John, likewise, sent his son Lance to the Wharton School of Business, one of the top business schools in the world. Mr. John wanted his siblings and children to have the best education offered not only in the Philippines, but also in the world. Undaunted by challenges
Curious and persevering, Mr. John was never afraid to start a challenging enterprise. He did not back down from businesses which were difficult to manage, or those that required technical expertise or heavy capital investments. Instead of being intimidated, Mr. John would study the businesses meticulously in order to operate them profitably. Be bold and dream big
One of Mr. John’s distinguishing traits is his boldness. Mr. John was not afraid of his bigger competitors when he
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