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From 1UpMedia, Empires is an immersive storytelling that dives deep into the history of the most successful businesses in Asia.
Every Monday, you’ll learn the history of its leaders, the decisions that have rippled across the industry, and the factors that allowed them to become the empire’s that they are today.
From triumph and victories, to monumental failures – Empires gets you behind the scenes of some of the most successful companies in Asia.
Copyright: © 1 Up Media
Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.
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Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.
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Huawei didn’t just build networks. It built the backbone of China’s rise.
From a scrappy startup in 1980s Shenzhen to a global tech titan, Huawei’s climb has rattled the West, redrawn alliances, and redefined what a Chinese company can do.
At the center is Ren Zhengfei. Ex-soldier, engineer, and survivor.
He never planned to take on the world. But the world came for him anyway.
Through sanctions, surveillance and accusations of espionage, Huawei always bounced back stronger.
This is the story of Huawei — how one man’s obsession with technology turned into a battle over power, politics, and the future of global tech.
Episode 1: Master Switch
Shenzhen, 1987. Ren Zhengfei starts Huawei with limited cash, no tech of his own, and everything to prove. To survive, he builds not just a product — but a system. A culture of hunger, obsession, and unrelenting speed.
Episode 2: Cost of Speed
When the People’s Liberation Army comes calling, Huawei gets its first big break. But with military contracts come new scrutiny, and Ren learns that loyalty has a price.
Episode 3: Eyes of the State
Huawei’s surveillance tech becomes essential at home — powering cities, borders, and entire regions. But abroad, it triggers alarm. As the company expands globally, critics warn it’s not just watching — it’s watching for China.
Episode 4: Honour and Glory
Huawei’s mobile division takes aim at the global market — but the launch is rocky. Delays, bugs, and fierce competition threaten to sink it. Still, Ren doubles down, betting everything on the dream of a Chinese-made smartphone empire.
Episode 5: Final Connection
Cut off, cornered, and branded a threat to national security, Huawei doesn’t fold. It doubles down. Rewriting software, rebuilding chips, the world can no longer ignore them.
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Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts?
Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com
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We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.
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Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
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If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.
-
Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.
-
Huawei didn’t just build networks. It built the backbone of China’s rise.
From a scrappy startup in 1980s Shenzhen to a global tech titan, Huawei’s climb has rattled the West, redrawn alliances, and redefined what a Chinese company can do.
At the center is Ren Zhengfei. Ex-soldier, engineer, and survivor.
He never planned to take on the world. But the world came for him anyway.
Through sanctions, surveillance and accusations of espionage, Huawei always bounced back stronger.
This is the story of Huawei — how one man’s obsession with technology turned into a battle over power, politics, and the future of global tech.
Episode 1: Master Switch
Shenzhen, 1987. Ren Zhengfei starts Huawei with limited cash, no tech of his own, and everything to prove. To survive, he builds not just a product — but a system. A culture of hunger, obsession, and unrelenting speed.
Episode 2: Cost of Speed
When the People’s Liberation Army comes calling, Huawei gets its first big break. But with military contracts come new scrutiny, and Ren learns that loyalty has a price.
Episode 3: Eyes of the State
Huawei’s surveillance tech becomes essential at home — powering cities, borders, and entire regions. But abroad, it triggers alarm. As the company expands globally, critics warn it’s not just watching — it’s watching for China.
Episode 4: Honour and Glory
Huawei’s mobile division takes aim at the global market — but the launch is rocky. Delays, bugs, and fierce competition threaten to sink it. Still, Ren doubles down, betting everything on the dream of a Chinese-made smartphone empire.
Episode 5: Final Connection
Cut off, cornered, and branded a threat to national security, Huawei doesn’t fold. It doubles down. Rewriting software, rebuilding chips, the world can no longer ignore them.
-
Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts?
Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com
-
We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.
-
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.
-
Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.
-
Huawei didn’t just build networks. It built the backbone of China’s rise.
From a scrappy startup in 1980s Shenzhen to a global tech titan, Huawei’s climb has rattled the West, redrawn alliances, and redefined what a Chinese company can do.
At the center is Ren Zhengfei. Ex-soldier, engineer, and survivor.
He never planned to take on the world. But the world came for him anyway.
Through sanctions, surveillance and accusations of espionage, Huawei always bounced back stronger.
This is the story of Huawei — how one man’s obsession with technology turned into a battle over power, politics, and the future of global tech.
Episode 1: Master Switch
Shenzhen, 1987. Ren Zhengfei starts Huawei with limited cash, no tech of his own, and everything to prove. To survive, he builds not just a product — but a system. A culture of hunger, obsession, and unrelenting speed.
Episode 2: Cost of Speed
When the People’s Liberation Army comes calling, Huawei gets its first big break. But with military contracts come new scrutiny, and Ren learns that loyalty has a price.
Episode 3: Eyes of the State
Huawei’s surveillance tech becomes essential at home — powering cities, borders, and entire regions. But abroad, it triggers alarm. As the company expands globally, critics warn it’s not just watching — it’s watching for China.
Episode 4: Honour and Glory
Huawei’s mobile division takes aim at the global market — but the launch is rocky. Delays, bugs, and fierce competition threaten to sink it. Still, Ren doubles down, betting everything on the dream of a Chinese-made smartphone empire.
Episode 5: Final Connection
Cut off, cornered, and branded a threat to national security, Huawei doesn’t fold. It doubles down. Rewriting software, rebuilding chips, the world can no longer ignore them.
-
Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts?
Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com
-
We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.
-
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.
-
Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.
-
Huawei didn’t just build networks. It built the backbone of China’s rise.
From a scrappy startup in 1980s Shenzhen to a global tech titan, Huawei’s climb has rattled the West, redrawn alliances, and redefined what a Chinese company can do.
At the center is Ren Zhengfei. Ex-soldier, engineer, and survivor.
He never planned to take on the world. But the world came for him anyway.
Through sanctions, surveillance and accusations of espionage, Huawei always bounced back stronger.
This is the story of Huawei — how one man’s obsession with technology turned into a battle over power, politics, and the future of global tech.
Episode 1: Master Switch
Shenzhen, 1987. Ren Zhengfei starts Huawei with limited cash, no tech of his own, and everything to prove. To survive, he builds not just a product — but a system. A culture of hunger, obsession, and unrelenting speed.
Episode 2: Cost of Speed
When the People’s Liberation Army comes calling, Huawei gets its first big break. But with military contracts come new scrutiny, and Ren learns that loyalty has a price.
Episode 3: Eyes of the State
Huawei’s surveillance tech becomes essential at home — powering cities, borders, and entire regions. But abroad, it triggers alarm. As the company expands globally, critics warn it’s not just watching — it’s watching for China.
Episode 4: Honour and Glory
Huawei’s mobile division takes aim at the global market — but the launch is rocky. Delays, bugs, and fierce competition threaten to sink it. Still, Ren doubles down, betting everything on the dream of a Chinese-made smartphone empire.
Episode 5: Final Connection
Cut off, cornered, and branded a threat to national security, Huawei doesn’t fold. It doubles down. Rewriting software, rebuilding chips, the world can no longer ignore them.
-
Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts?
Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com
-
We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.
-
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
The Kuok Group feeds cities, builds skylines, and reshapes borders. From sugar to shipping, hotels to high finance, it powers modern Asia in ways few truly understand.
Robert Kuok sits quietly at the heart of this story, a man guided by discipline, driven by vision, and guarded in privacy.
He didn’t chase the spotlight. He chased scale. From the chaos of war-torn Malaya to the boardrooms of Beijing, Kuok built his empire with patience, precision, and a belief in long-term power over short-term profit.
He never raised his voice. But when he moved, industries followed.
This is the story of the Kuok Group — how a young man from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, rose from rice sacks and ration books to build Southeast Asia’s largest sugar empire and, ultimately, to shape the future of China, one power move at a time.
Episode 1: Foundations
Japanese bombs fall over Singapore. Sixteen-year-old Robert Kuok begins a long walk home. He is angry, disillusioned, but determined to change the world.
Episode 2: Sugar Rush
Rice built Kuok Brothers Ltd. But sugar? That’s what will make them legends. When global prices spike and contracts fall apart, Robert learns the true cost of sweet ambition.
Episode 3: Sugar Crash
To move beyond importing sugar, Robert sets his sights on building Malaysia’s first refinery. But foreign partners try to box him in. In response, he rewrites the rules - mastering policy, strategy, and global trading - until the Kuok name commands respect from London to Kuala Lumpur.
Episode 4: The Sugar King
To control sugar from source to shelf, Robert ventures into Indonesia and strikes a deal with a powerful, but unpredictable, ally. But as politics sour, he must fight to hold onto the empire he’s built before it slips away.
Episode 5: Shangri-La
Kuok bets on hospitality. The result? A new kind of empire, one made of glass, steel, and silence. But while others chase the West, Robert looks East.
-
Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.
-
Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.
-
Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts?
Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com
-
We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.
-
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
The Kuok Group feeds cities, builds skylines, and reshapes borders. From sugar to shipping, hotels to high finance, it powers modern Asia in ways few truly understand.
Robert Kuok sits quietly at the heart of this story, a man guided by discipline, driven by vision, and guarded in privacy.
He didn’t chase the spotlight. He chased scale. From the chaos of war-torn Malaya to the boardrooms of Beijing, Kuok built his empire with patience, precision, and a belief in long-term power over short-term profit.
He never raised his voice. But when he moved, industries followed.
This is the story of the Kuok Group — how a young man from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, rose from rice sacks and ration books to build Southeast Asia’s largest sugar empire and, ultimately, to shape the future of China, one power move at a time.
Episode 1: Foundations
Japanese bombs fall over Singapore. Sixteen-year-old Robert Kuok begins a long walk home. He is angry, disillusioned, but determined to change the world.
Episode 2: Sugar Rush
Rice built Kuok Brothers Ltd. But sugar? That’s what will make them legends. When global prices spike and contracts fall apart, Robert learns the true cost of sweet ambition.
Episode 3: Sugar Crash
To move beyond importing sugar, Robert sets his sights on building Malaysia’s first refinery. But foreign partners try to box him in. In response, he rewrites the rules - mastering policy, strategy, and global trading - until the Kuok name commands respect from London to Kuala Lumpur.
Episode 4: The Sugar King
To control sugar from source to shelf, Robert ventures into Indonesia and strikes a deal with a powerful, but unpredictable, ally. But as politics sour, he must fight to hold onto the empire he’s built before it slips away.
Episode 5: Shangri-La
Kuok bets on hospitality. The result? A new kind of empire, one made of glass, steel, and silence. But while others chase the West, Robert looks East.
-
Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.
-
Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.
-
Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts?
Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com
-
We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.
-
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
The Kuok Group feeds cities, builds skylines, and reshapes borders. From sugar to shipping, hotels to high finance, it powers modern Asia in ways few truly understand.
Robert Kuok sits quietly at the heart of this story, a man guided by discipline, driven by vision, and guarded in privacy.
He didn’t chase the spotlight. He chased scale. From the chaos of war-torn Malaya to the boardrooms of Beijing, Kuok built his empire with patience, precision, and a belief in long-term power over short-term profit.
He never raised his voice. But when he moved, industries followed.
This is the story of the Kuok Group — how a young man from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, rose from rice sacks and ration books to build Southeast Asia’s largest sugar empire and, ultimately, to shape the future of China, one power move at a time.
Episode 1: Foundations
Japanese bombs fall over Singapore. Sixteen-year-old Robert Kuok begins a long walk home. He is angry, disillusioned, but determined to change the world.
Episode 2: Sugar Rush
Rice built Kuok Brothers Ltd. But sugar? That’s what will make them legends. When global prices spike and contracts fall apart, Robert learns the true cost of sweet ambition.
Episode 3: Sugar Crash
To move beyond importing sugar, Robert sets his sights on building Malaysia’s first refinery. But foreign partners try to box him in. In response, he rewrites the rules - mastering policy, strategy, and global trading - until the Kuok name commands respect from London to Kuala Lumpur.
Episode 4: The Sugar King
To control sugar from source to shelf, Robert ventures into Indonesia and strikes a deal with a powerful, but unpredictable, ally. But as politics sour, he must fight to hold onto the empire he’s built before it slips away.
Episode 5: Shangri-La
Kuok bets on hospitality. The result? A new kind of empire, one made of glass, steel, and silence. But while others chase the West, Robert looks East.
-
Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.
-
Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.
-
Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts?
Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com
-
We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.
-
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
The Kuok Group feeds cities, builds skylines, and reshapes borders. From sugar to shipping, hotels to high finance, it powers modern Asia in ways few truly understand.
Robert Kuok sits quietly at the heart of this story, a man guided by discipline, driven by vision, and guarded in privacy.
He didn’t chase the spotlight. He chased scale. From the chaos of war-torn Malaya to the boardrooms of Beijing, Kuok built his empire with patience, precision, and a belief in long-term power over short-term profit.
He never raised his voice. But when he moved, industries followed.
This is the story of the Kuok Group — how a young man from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, rose from rice sacks and ration books to build Southeast Asia’s largest sugar empire and, ultimately, to shape the future of China, one power move at a time.
Episode 1: Foundations
Japanese bombs fall over Singapore. Sixteen-year-old Robert Kuok begins a long walk home. He is angry, disillusioned, but determined to change the world.
Episode 2: Sugar Rush
Rice built Kuok Brothers Ltd. But sugar? That’s what will make them legends. When global prices spike and contracts fall apart, Robert learns the true cost of sweet ambition.
Episode 3: Sugar Crash
To move beyond importing sugar, Robert sets his sights on building Malaysia’s first refinery. But foreign partners try to box him in. In response, he rewrites the rules - mastering policy, strategy, and global trading - until the Kuok name commands respect from London to Kuala Lumpur.
Episode 4: The Sugar King
To control sugar from source to shelf, Robert ventures into Indonesia and strikes a deal with a powerful, but unpredictable, ally. But as politics sour, he must fight to hold onto the empire he’s built before it slips away.
Episode 5: Shangri-La
Kuok bets on hospitality. The result? A new kind of empire, one made of glass, steel, and silence. But while others chase the West, Robert looks East.
-
Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.
-
Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.
-
Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts?
Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com
-
We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.
-
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
The Kuok Group feeds cities, builds skylines, and reshapes borders. From sugar to shipping, hotels to high finance, it powers modern Asia in ways few truly understand.
Robert Kuok sits quietly at the heart of this story, a man guided by discipline, driven by vision, and guarded in privacy.
He didn’t chase the spotlight. He chased scale. From the chaos of war-torn Malaya to the boardrooms of Beijing, Kuok built his empire with patience, precision, and a belief in long-term power over short-term profit.
He never raised his voice. But when he moved, industries followed.
This is the story of the Kuok Group — how a young man from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, rose from rice sacks and ration books to build Southeast Asia’s largest sugar empire and, ultimately, to shape the future of China, one power move at a time.
Episode 1: Foundations
Japanese bombs fall over Singapore. Sixteen-year-old Robert Kuok begins a long walk home. He is angry, disillusioned, but determined to change the world.
Episode 2: Sugar Rush
Rice built Kuok Brothers Ltd. But sugar? That’s what will make them legends. When global prices spike and contracts fall apart, Robert learns the true cost of sweet ambition.
Episode 3: Sugar Crash
To move beyond importing sugar, Robert sets his sights on building Malaysia’s first refinery. But foreign partners try to box him in. In response, he rewrites the rules - mastering policy, strategy, and global trading - until the Kuok name commands respect from London to Kuala Lumpur.
Episode 4: The Sugar King
To control sugar from source to shelf, Robert ventures into Indonesia and strikes a deal with a powerful, but unpredictable, ally. But as politics sour, he must fight to hold onto the empire he’s built before it slips away.
Episode 5: Shangri-La
Kuok bets on hospitality. The result? A new kind of empire, one made of glass, steel, and silence. But while others chase the West, Robert looks East.
-
Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.
-
Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.
-
Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts?
Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com
-
We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.
-
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
SoftBank’s Vision Fund made history with its $100 billion war chest, backing game changing companies from Uber to TikTok.
But Masa’s ambition doesn’t stop there. SoftBank is already looking ahead, aiming to shape the future of generative AI and its infrastructure.
In this special bonus episode, we dive into the next decade of SoftBank’s strategy. Specifically, how they’re positioning themselves to dominate AI infrastructure, from massive data centers to edge computing.
We break down the role of ARM, the rise of AI processing on the edge, and how AlphaSense insights can deepen your understanding of SoftBank’s daring strategies.
-
Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.
-
Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.
-
Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts?
Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com
-
We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.
-
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)
🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
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