CHIEF EXECUTIVE, KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY CORP.
DAY JOB: Along with colleague David Sun, co-leads top memory products maker for computers, consumer electronics. Flash memory used for USB sticks, camera cards and supporting roles in PCs. One of county’s largest private companies. Revenue approached $13 billion last year. Employs about 650 in OC, 3,600 worldwide. Plants in Fountain Valley, Taiwan, mainland China.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: A $2.5 million gift from the John and Mary Tu Foundation to the University of California-Irvine supported COVID-19-associated patient care at UCI Health and advanced clinical and translational research across campus focused on new ways to test for and treat the viral infection. Some of the funds are being used for UCI Medical Center to expand their personnel and secure needed equipment in order to serve those patients most seriously afflicted with COVID-19. Tu is the primary funder of Irvine’s Fluxergy LLC, a developer of innovative “point-of-care” medical diagnostics systems, which is working with the University of California-San Diego to develop a one-hour COVID-19 diagnostic test. Fluxergy said in May Tu would fund a $30 million push to ramp up its testing efforts, with goal of providing 1 million tests per month.
NOTABLE: His son, Jonathan Tu, is chief financial officer at Fluxergy. The company’s point-of-care device can be used at the emergency room or a community center, eliminating the need for central laboratory work, the company says. Co-founder Sun also continues charitable streak, with an education focus. Sun and his wife, Diana, in March pledged $1.75 million in annual contributions to expand the Simon Scholars Program.
QUOTABLE: “John Tu was among the first to come forward and ask how he could help, and he hopes his gift will inspire others to donate to UCI Health as well,” said Dr. Steve Goldstein, vice chancellor for health affairs. “This gift is helping to save lives, accelerate testing and advance vaccine development.”
