Gou’s Big Con

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Credit the Wall Street Journal for determination. The paper finally landed — after five years of trying — an interview with Hon Hai chairman Terry Gou. The piece (click here for the link) takes readers inside the Foxconn fortress (aka its Shenzhen plant, a one-square mile walled city which employs 270,000 workers).

Even for those of us who lived through Enron, it’s hard not to come away disgusted. ” ‘I always tell employees: The group’s benefit is more important than your personal benefit,’ ” the Journal quotes Gou as saying.

A typical mid-level assembly-line worker earns about $230 a month, including overtime pay. The chairman’s net worth: $10 billion. Apparently “Gou” translates to “group.”

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About Mike

Mike Buetow is president of the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (pcea.net). He previously was editor-in-chief of Circuits Assembly magazine, the leading publication for electronics manufacturing, and PCD&F, the leading publication for printed circuit design and fabrication. He spent 21 years as vice president and editorial director of UP Media Group, for which he oversaw all editorial and production aspects. He has more than 30 years' experience in the electronics industry, including six years at IPC, an electronics trade association, at which he was a technical projects manager and communications director. He has also held editorial positions at SMT Magazine, community newspapers and in book publishing. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois. Follow Mike on Twitter: @mikebuetow

2 thoughts on “Gou’s Big Con”

  1. Where can I get a copy of “Gou’s Quotations” referenced in the Wall Street Journal article?

  2. I don’t have an answer for you, Bill, but perhaps one of our readers will.

    Even better if they know if an English language version exists.

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