Angela Chao biography: 13 things about Syosset, New York native

Angela Chao was a Chinese-American businesswoman and philanthropist born in Syosset, New York, United States to Dr. James Si-Cheng Chao and Ruth Mulan Chu Chao. James was born in Malu, Jiading, Shanghai, China while Ruth was born in Lai’an, Anhui, China.

James and Ruth fled to Taiwan in 1949 due to the Chinese Civil War. He came to the U.S. in 1958 and she followed him in 1961, respectively.

Angela was married twice. She has five older sisters namely Jeanette C. Chao, Elaine Chao, May Chao, Christine Chao and Grace Chao.

In Angela’s final days, she was a resident of Texas, USA. Here are 13 more things about her:

1. In 1982, she started accompanying her father on ship visits.
2. In 1993, her sister Elaine married Mitch McConnell.
3. In 1994, she graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA with a bachelor’s degree in economics. She earned her master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts.
4. In 1996, she joined Foremost Group, a shipping company founded by her father and based in New York City, New York.
5. On August 2, 2007, her mother died in New York City at age 77.
6. On March 20, 2008, her sister Jeanette died in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA at age 52.
7. In January 2009, she married Bruce Jay Wasserstein. On October 14, 2009, he died in Manhattan at age 61.
8. In 2012, she married Jim Breyer.
9. In June 2016, she was appointed as independent director of the board of the Bank of China.
10. On September 23, 2016, she received an honorary doctorate degree from National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu, Taiwan. 
11. In 2018, she became the Foremost Group chief executive officer, succeeding her father.
12. In 2020, she gave birth to her and Breyer’s son.
13. Shortly after midnight on February 11, 2024, she died after her Tesla went into a pond on her private ranch in Johnson City, Texas. She was 50. Her death is under criminal investigation.