Taiwan's business and financial community has lost one of its most influential entrepreneurial figures. Ruentex Group (潤泰集團) confirmed on the 26th that Samuel Yin (尹衍樑), President of Ruentex Group and founder of the Tang Prize (唐獎), passed away peacefully on the same day at 4:00 a.m. at Taipei Veterans General Hospital (台北榮民總醫院). He was 76. Family members were present at his bedside. Ruentex Group stated that all staff members received the news with deep sorrow and grief.
Yin's career spanned corporate management, engineering, education, research, and philanthropy. After assuming leadership of Ruentex Group, he led a broad diversification strategy that transformed an enterprise originally rooted in textiles into a conglomerate spanning residential construction, financial services and insurance, retail, department store operations, biotechnology and healthcare. Nan Shan Life Insurance (南山人壽) emerged as a flagship asset within Ruentex's financial portfolio, establishing Yin as a prominent figure in Taiwan's industrial transition from traditional manufacturing into finance and consumer services.
Beyond his business achievements, Yin maintained a sustained commitment to advancing public works technology and industrial innovation. He served as Chief Engineer and Head of Research and Development for Ruentex's construction division, and held an adjunct professorship in the Department of Civil Engineering at National Taiwan University (台灣大學土木工程學系). His research focused on construction methodology, seismic engineering, and project management — driven by a long-held ambition to lead the construction industry toward more precise, technology-driven working methods. He was regarded not only as a corporate operator, but also as an entrepreneur with an engineering background and a research-oriented character.
In his later years, Yin became most internationally recognized for founding the Tang Prize. According to Ruentex Group's statement, Yin had long supported academic institutions and held a deep commitment to education and scientific research. In 2012, he formally established the Tang Prize to encourage leading global scholars to pursue work in four fields: sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, Sinology, and rule of law — with the hope of generating lasting benefit for humanity. The Tang Prize has since become one of the few privately funded award platforms from Taiwan to achieve meaningful international visibility.
Ruentex Group stated that Yin had, prior to his death, established a comprehensive professional management structure and succession framework to ensure the group's long-term continuity. All subsidiaries are currently managed by professional management teams, and business operations remain normal. The group emphasized that it will continue to uphold the corporate values Yin consistently championed: integrity, pragmatism, and innovation.
Regarding funeral arrangements, Ruentex Group stated that following consultation with the family, and in accordance with Yin's expressed wishes, the family will observe a simple process. No memorial hall will be established, no public memorial service will be held, and the family has respectfully declined floral tributes, memorial couplets, and condolence offerings. Ruentex Group extended its gratitude to all those who have long supported the group and followed Yin's work.
From inheriting a textile business and transforming a conglomerate, to advancing construction engineering and establishing an internationally recognized philanthropic prize, Yin's life traced a broader arc in Taiwan's economic history — from traditional manufacturing toward diversified enterprise and institutionalized public giving. His passing marks the close of a defining chapter in Taiwan's financial and industrial landscape.
