Donald Tang

Donald Tang is an American businessman and senior entertainment industry leader. He is founding partner of Tang Media Partners. Prior to his current position, he served as Vice Chairman, Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., and Chairman of Bear Stearns Asia. He was born in Shanghai, China where his parents were college professors. A story titled "He Came For Love" in the Los Angeles Times, describes how Donald Tang at age 18 followed his girlfriend Jean to Los Angeles in 1982 after she and her family immigrated to America. Jean is now his wife. Working a series of restaurant jobs to finance his education, Donald graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, in 1986 with a degree in chemical engineering. Before founding Tang Media Partners, Mr. Tang was an investment banker responsible for a number of pioneering transactions involving China and the US. He began his career in finance after graduating from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, joining Merrill Lynch & Co. in 1987. After moving to the Los Angeles office of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. in 1992 as Senior Managing Director Of Investment Banking, a steady stream of investment and professional successes followed. In 1993, he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Bear Stearns Asia and moved to its Hong Kong office, subsequently being named Chairman of Bear Stearns Asia. From 1993 to 1999, he built up its Asian operations, opening offices in China and Singapore. While serving in Hong Kong, Donald Tang was elected to the Board of Directors of Bear Stearns & Co. in 1997. Mr. Tang was instrumental in advising an arm of the CITIC Group during its unprecedented $1.15 billion acquisition of Nations Energy in Kazakhstan. He led the Bear Stearns team representing Hunan Valin Group, a Chinese steel company, when it sold a 37 percent stake to Mittal Steel (now ArcelorMittal) in what was then the largest acquisition by an international strategic investor of a Chinese-listed firm. Following that deal, Lakshmi Mittal was quoted in the Financial Times saying, "Anyone seeking to do a major deal in China will learn about Donald Tang." Mr. Tang was instrumental in facilitating the deal that resulted in Dalian Wanda, a leading Chinese conglomerate, acquiring AMC Entertainment Holdings for $2.6B in 2012. And he personally played a key role in putting together a 2015 film slate financing package for STX Entertainment, a Hollywood motion picture and television studio. Under terms of the agreement, China's largest privately held film firm, Huayi Brothers Media Corp., joins in a three-year pact to finance 12-15 STX film projects per year. Mr. Tang receives Executive Producer credit on all films released under that agreement. Deadline Hollywood reported, "Key to the deal was Tang Media Partners' Donald Tang, who is the former chairman of Bear Stearns Asia who has strong relationships both inside the U.S. and with most major players in China." As the founder and managing partner of Tang Media Partners, Mr. Tang brings his intimate knowledge of Chinese business and culture to the intersection of Hollywood and China, which is the center of today's entertainment universe. Tang Media Partner's mission encompasses the development, financing, production and distribution of unique content for film, television, music, sports, education, fashion, games, and digital initiatives. Donald Tang's intimate familiarity with the realities of Hollywood, combined with deep insight into the Chinese market and culture, enables the company to leverage exceptional opportunities across this new global content ecosystem. In 2016, Tang Media Partners launched the "Tang Film Fund," providing slate financing for STX Entertainment feature films produced over the next three years. Tang Media Partners receives an "In Association With STX Entertainment" onscreen credit for all films released under this agreement. Donald Tang assembled and moderated a panel of senior Chinese and US entertainment industry executives in Los Angeles on April 18, 2016. Mr. Tang challenged the panelists to explain why today's foreign investors in Hollywood would find success when so many others had failed in the past. The participants in this unprecedented event, who had never appeared together as a group before, included Ari Emanuel of WME IMG, Jack Gao of Wanda Cultural Industry Group, Jim Gianopulos of 20th Century Fox, Li Ruigang of China Media Capital, Dominic Ng of East West Bank and Robert Simonds of STX Entertainment. The event took place in Los Angeles on April 16, 2016, as part of the annual conference of the Committee of 100.