Tan Min Liang was born in Singapore, a city known for its discipline, drive, and ambition, traits that would come to define his own path. Raised in a household that valued both education and exploration, Tan was a curious child with a passion for tinkering, questioning, and most of all, playing. While many saw video games as a distraction, Tan saw potential. Even as a teenager, he understood that gaming wasn’t just a pastime; it was a culture, a community, and a frontier waiting to be shaped.
Growing up, Tan excelled academically, eventually studying law at the National University of Singapore. But beneath the formal track lay a restless energy. It wasn’t long before he traded the courtroom for the control room, leaving a stable legal career to co-found Razer in 2005, a bold move that raised eyebrows in a society where professional success often meant climbing corporate ladders, not building your own.
Razer began with a single product: a high-precision gaming mouse called the Diamondback. It was sleek, stylish, and engineered with the competitive gamer in mind. The product didn’t just sell; it exploded. What followed was a turning point not just for Tan, but for the global gaming industry. Under his leadership, Razer grew from a niche hardware startup into one of the most recognizable brands in gaming and esports, spanning everything from laptops to fintech solutions tailored for gamers.
But success came with its own share of battles. Breaking into the tech hardware space, especially as a relatively unknown Southeast Asian brand, meant fighting for credibility against industry giants. Tan had to prove that innovation could come from outside Silicon Valley, and that gamers, long misunderstood by mainstream markets, were a powerful, discerning audience. There were financial risks, product flops, and moments of doubt. Yet Tan’s vision never wavered. His strategy of building for the community first, profit second, helped Razer forge a loyal global fanbase.
Today, Tan Min-Liang is more than just the CEO of a multibillion dollar company. He’s a symbol of modern entrepreneurship in Asia. He represents a new breed of business leaders who blend creativity with technical precision and who aren’t afraid to challenge conventions. His journey has inspired countless young entrepreneurs in Singapore and beyond to dream louder and take risks in spaces often overlooked.
What sets Tan apart isn’t just his success; it’s the world he helped legitimize. In turning a childhood love of games into a global empire, he didn’t just build a company. He helped transform an entire industry and changed the way the world sees gamers, creators, and innovators.