Razer CEO to Donate $10m to Esports in Singapore

Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan has promised in a Facebook post to pump in $10 million to the Singapore esports over the next year.

He said the move was triggered by a letter published in The Strait Times, written by a reader named  Juliana Foo. In the letter, Ms. Foo said she had found it “difficult to accept esports as a medal sport” at this year’s SEA Games. Incidentally, Razer is the official esports partner of SEA Games.

Singapore is represented by a group of esports athletes in games such as Dota 2, Starcraft and Hearthstone.

Foo had also said that “athletes rigorously, abide by a strict diet and hone their physical prowess” and that “gaming falls short in these aspects”.

Tan, in his post, said he was “incredibly grateful” for the support Razer has had from the Singaporean government and Singaporeans alike, and that he was “still a Singaporean citizen” despite having founded the company in the US.

He also referenced Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing’s comments in Parliament on 4 September, where the minister had shared several initiatives the government was taking to help the esports scene in Singapore.

Tan said his $10 million pledge for gaming and esports activities in Singapore will include “supporting esports teams in Singapore as well as investing in gaming/esports companies in Singapore or founded by Singaporean’s”.

“We are one of the largest esports brands in the world, and personally as a Singaporean, I’m looking forward to giving back and doing more for my country.”