Yulon Group Chairperson Kenneth Yen died of esophageal cancer on Dec. 3 at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital, at age 54. He made his last public appearance at last year's Taipei Auto Show, and wasn't in public afterwards. The Yulon Group issued a statement and said that Yen had asked all members of the group to keep in low profile when handling his affairs. Yen's widow Lilian Chen will take over his responsibilities.
Yulon Group Chairman Kenneth Yen presented his company's own electric vehicle to President Tsai Ing-wen. In 2016, Yen lost a significant amount of weight due to esophageal cancer, and he recovered after treatment. He made his last public appearance at the Taipei Auto Show last year. On Dec. 3, Yen lost his battle against cancer and died at age 54.
As long as the cancer hasn't spread, I can be quite optimistic. If the Buddha wants to take you away, you can't do anything about that.
In 1990, the then 25-year old Kenneth Yen took over as the Chairperson of the Yulon Group. He insisted to build Taiwanese own-brand vehicles, and in 2009, he realized his dream and launched Luxgen, the only Taiwanese car brand in the market.
Ever since the age of 5, I know that I want to make Yulon Automotive a successful company.
After establishing his brand in Taiwan, Yen also hoped to explore the market in Mainland China. Despite lackluster sales, Yen still worked hard towards his goal.
I hope our team could explore more business opportunities and keep working to enhance cross-strait trade exchanges.
Yen is a key figure in Taiwan's automotive industry. He said that what motivates him is his wife, daughter and his son who was born in 2015.
My daughter has been a huge support for me. And my wife has been a support for me.
Kenneth Yen's life has come to an end. Despite him asking others to handle his affairs in a low-key manner, the Yulon Group said it will hold a memorial ceremony after taking into consideration the continued attention on the matter. The time and venue of the ceremony have yet to be decided, and the group will make an announcement when it is set. The group issued a statement, saying that the company has a comprehensive internal structure, and that Yen's widow, Lilian Chen, will take over his responsibility and she will keep the company on the right track. Chen also said in the statement that she will control her sorrow and work along with the company's staff to achieve Yen's dreams.