How to look at Tencent's hands-off investment strategy - Matthew Brennan

Matthew Brennan

China internet giant Tencent has a gigantic investment portfolio, but has a rather hands-off approach when it comes to those investments. Tencent watcher Matthew Brennan explains at Technode how to look at that strategy.

Technode

According to Matthew Brennan, founder of research consultancy China Channel and co-host of Technode’s China Tech Talk podcast, Tencent’s relatively hands-off approach can be attributed to the experience and personalities of two of the company’s top decision-makers: Executive Director and President Martin Lau, and Chief Strategy Officer James Mitchell. “Both Martin and James think more like investment bankers than operations-focused managers,” explains Brennan. “Much of Tencent’s profit generation still lies in gaming, a sector in which they are known to take more controlling and larger stakes. Yet for the rest of their investments, they seem comfortable trusting existing management and taking a much less active role.” 

As of the end of Q2 2019, Tencent reported an investment portfolio amounting to over RMB 417 billion (about $59 billion), including China and overseas.

More at Technode.

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