Cynthia Wu
Cynthia Wu | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 18, 1978 United States |
| Other names | Wu Hsin-ying |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, politician |
| Known for | Member of the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan People's Party vice presidential candidate (2024) |
Cynthia Wu (; also known as Wu Hsin-ying; born 18 May 1978) is a Taiwanese entrepreneur and political figure. Prior to her 2022 induction into the Legislative Yuan, she gained experience working with Merrill Lynch affiliates in the United Kingdom and the Shin Kong Group in Taiwan.
In the 2024 presidential race, Wu was selected as the Taiwan People's Party's vice presidential candidate, partnering with Ko Wen-je.
Early life and education
Wu was born in the United States and is the firstborn child of Eugene Wu and Hsu Hsien-hsien. Her maternal grandfather, Hsu Sheng-fa, had a career in banking and politics. Among her family are uncles Eric and Thomas Wu, both prominent business leaders; Eric has also held a seat in the Legislative Yuan. Wu’s siblings include Wu Hsin-ju and Wu Yi-tung.
She attended Taipei American School before obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and art history from Wellesley College. She further pursued a Master’s degree at England’s Courtauld Institute of Art.
Career
During her time in the UK, Wu was employed by Merrill Lynch in London and worked as an assistant to Conservative politician Peter Lilley. She previously held dual citizenship of the US and Taiwan but relinquished her American citizenship in 2014.
Upon returning to Taiwan, she took on an executive role within , a subsidiary of the Shin Kong Group established by her grandfather .
Wu secured the seventh position on the Taiwan People's Party list for the 2020 legislative elections. After Tsai Pi-ru resigned, Wu was appointed to serve in the 10th Legislative Yuan starting 2 November 2022.
On 24 November 2023, Ko Wen-je, chairman of the Taiwan People's Party, announced Wu as his vice presidential running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Despite debates surrounding citizenship status, all candidates including Wu were officially confirmed eligible to participate on 4 December.
Personal life
In 2010, Cynthia Wu married Tommy Lin, a Hua Nan Securities executive descended from the Lin Ben Yuan lineage. Following allegations of infidelity and Lin’s installation of a GPS device on her vehicle in 2013, Wu initiated divorce proceedings. The initial court decision acquitted Lin and denied the divorce request. However, a later ruling in 2019 granted their divorce. Wu voiced concerns about lost opportunities for motherhood due to the destruction of embryos created during their marriage.
Wu remarried in 2022 to Belgian nobleman Baron Renaud van der Elst. Their son was born on 9 February 2023.
