Charles Liang

In this Taiwanese name, the surname is Liang.

Charles Liang Chien-Hou (Chinese: 梁見後; born 1956 or 1957)^[2] is a Taiwanese billionaire businessman and electrical engineer. He is the co-founder (with his wife Sara Liu), chairman, president and CEO of Supermicro, an information technology company based in San Jose, California.^[3]

Charles Liang
梁見後
Liang in 2025
Born	Liang Chien-Hou 1956 or 1957 (age 68–69) Chiayi, Taiwan[1]
Education	National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (BS) University of Texas at Arlington (MS)
Title	Co-founder, chairman, president and CEO, Supermicro
Spouse	Sara Liu
Children	5

Early life and education

Liang was born in Chiayi, Taiwan.^[4][1] He graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, then earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in the US.^[5] As a student, Liang was interested in medical technologies and worked on "developing computerized systems to help diagnose illnesses".^[6]

Career

After graduating, Liang took on a job teaching at his alma mater, but left sometime in the 1980s to pursue his passions.^[1] He worked on a chip design for a healthcare company that utilized artificial intelligence, which he called an "AI Processor".^[7] From July 1991 to August 1993, Liang was the president and chief design engineer of Micro Center Computer, a motherboard design and manufacturing company.^[8] Among other roles, Liang worked for Chips and Technologies and Suntek Information International Group, serving as an engineer and project leader.^[6]

In 1993, Liang co-founded Supermicro alongside his wife and company treasurer, Chiu-Chu Liu, known as Sara. The business began as a five-person operation run by Liang.^[9] In 1996, Supermicro opened a manufacturing subsidiary, Ablecom, in Taiwan, which is run by Charles's brothers, Steve Liang and Bill Liang. Charles and his wife own close to 31 percent of Ablecom, while Steve Liang and other members of the family own close to 50 percent.^[10]

As of January 2024, Liang's stake in Supermicro is estimated at $3.3 billion.^[11] Liang holds several patents for server technology.^[8]

Green Earth Foundation

Liang is the founder of the Green Earth Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing forestation worldwide. In 2022, the Green Earth Foundation purchased nearly 200 acres of land in Milpitas, California, formerly known as Rancho Higuera.^[12] The foundation also seeks to plant drought-resistant trees in the Sahara Desert, supporting the Great Green Wall initiative.^[13]

Personal life

Liang is married to Sara Liu, and they have five children.^[2]