Hock E. Tan

Hock E. Tan was born in Penang, Malaysia. He first came to the United States in 1971 on a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. He later obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School.

“It’s really amazing to me, even today, that this great American educational institution took a chance on me, sight unseen, and gave me a scholarship to pursue the American Dream,” Tan said in remarks at the White House.

With a career spanning industries and leadership roles, Tan is currently president and chief executive officer of Broadcom, a global technology leader in semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions. Broadcom has grown through strategic acquisitions under Tan’s leadership, including the $61 billion acquisition of VMware. Previously, Tan was the president and chief executive officer of Integrated Circuit Systems, vice president of finance at Commodore International, and held senior management positions with PepsiCo and General Motors. He currently serves on the Meta board of directors.

Tan is also a noted philanthropist, with much of his giving focused on neurodiversity research to improve the lives of young adults with autism and other brain disorders. He has made substantial donations to leading research universities, including MIT, Harvard, and Stanford. In 2024, Tan was awarded the Global Semiconductor Alliance’s Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award. He has also received the World Innovation, Technology and Services Alliance’s Eminent Person Award, among other honors.

Published June 2026