Evergreen Group Shipping Titan Chang Passes Away

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Photo: Wikipedia

Chang Yung-fa, founder of Evergreen Group and one of Taiwan’s wealthiest individuals with a fortune estimated at US$1 billion, died on January 20 at the age of 88. Born in Suao on Taiwan’s east coast, Chang started out as a clerk for a Japanese shipping company before going to sea himself as a merchant marine. He later bought a second-hand bulk carrier vessel that he used to build Evergreen Marine, the world’s fifth largest container shipping carrier and Asia’s largest. Along with Evergreen Marine, the Evergreen Group includes EVA Airways Corp., Taiwan’s largest airline; Evergreen Sky Catering Corp.; and Evergreen International Hotels.