John Tu

Co-Founder, President & CEO, Kingston Technology

Search every verified John Tu interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a June 2024 interview, John Tu, co-founder and CEO of Kingston Technology, discussed the company's 36-year history and his approach to financial management. Tu stated that he believes 90% of company failures occur because they run out of money, and he advised having a realistic financial plan rather than borrowing large sums from banks. He described Kingston's strategy of not borrowing from banks, saying the company has always tried to buy everything with cash and has rarely taken credit offers, even when banks offered up to $1.2 billion in credit. Tu also recounted the early days of Kingston, recalling a time when the company lost everything and had no money for food or rent. He said that during that period, he told himself "tomorrow is another day" and emphasized the importance of consistency. Reflecting on SoftBank's 1996 purchase of an 80% stake in Kingston, Tu noted that the company gave $100 million in bonuses to employees, stating that "people are most important value the assets without them is nothing."