Influence Empire

The Story of Tencent and China's Tech Ambition

De: Lulu Yilun Chen

Narrado por: Richard Burnip, Lulu Yilum Chen

The insider story of Tencent, the Chinese tech giant behind WeChat: perfect for fans of Chip War and House of Huawei

'A fascinating study of the tech giant and its symbiotic relationship with the Chinese government' - Guardian

A remarkably relevant and timely account in light of the escalating US-Chinese trade war.

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In 2017, a company known as Tencent overtook Facebook to become the world's fifth largest company. It was a watershed moment, a wake-up call for those in the West accustomed to regarding the global tech industry through the prism of Silicon Valley: Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft.

Yet to many of the two billion-plus people who live just across the Pacific Ocean, it came as no surprise at all.

Founded by the enigmatic billionaire Pony Ma, the firm that began life as a simple text-message operator invested in and created some of China's most iconic games en route to dreaming up WeChat - the Swiss Army knife super-app that combines messaging, shopping and entertainment. Through billions of dollars of global investments in marquee names from Fortnite to Tesla and a horde of start-ups, Ma's company went on to build a near-unparalleled empire of influence.

In this fascinating narrative - crammed with insider interviews and exclusive details - Lulu Chen tells the story of how Tencent created the golden era of Chinese technology, and delves into key battles involving Didi, Meituan and Alibaba. It's a chronicle of critical junctures and asks just what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in China.

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'Vital . . . More than a corporate hagiography.' - New York Times

'So much more than the long-awaited story of Tencent and its vital everything app, WeChat, the messaging tool used by 1.3 billion people. It's also the sobering account of an entire generation of high-flying Chinese tech entrepreneurs, whose wings were clipped by the omnipotent hand of their own government.' -- Brad Stone, author of Amazon Unbound and The Everything Store

'Fascinating' - The Times

'Lulu Yilun Chen has written a sharply informed, smart and compelling account of the rise of some of the most powerful companies in China, which also stand among the biggest and richest tech giants in the world.' - Howard French, author of Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China's Push for Global Power

'A book that tells Tencent's story has been long overdue, and Lulu Chen's account is not only comprehensive, but also a gripping business narrative. The globally influential company finally has the account it deserves.' - David Barboza, The Wire

©2022 Lulu Chen (P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Surprisingly good

I bought it out of curiosity. It is a very well written story of Chinese tech. One might think it is irrelevant or distant subject but not at all. Recommended.

Anti china sentiments

Rather obvious, maybe I should have know being with Bloomberg. This book is I guess a reporter’s account of the rise of Tencent. Also tries to predict the fall of Tencent if China is not changed!

Best audiobook about Chinese tech sector

This is a great book about Chinese tech sector. It paints in broad strokes a landscape of tech industry behind the great firewall. Focusing primarily on Temcent it touches a wide spectrum of entities entangled in one of the most fascinating digital transformations ever.

Please get a narrator that can pronounce Chinese words properly

Book was okay. Narrator was terrible with Chinese words. It was so hard to understand which companies he was referring to.

Essential listening

Great book, if you work in any digital transformational role this should be required listening. It is incredible to hear how Tencent was able to capture so much market share by innovating and looking at what the customer needed. Essentially tencent was customer centric and won because of this attitude. Going to be very interesting to see what happens next to the company.