An international consortium headed by Jeffrey Koo Jr (辜仲諒), who owns CTBC Brothers baseball club, was yesterday reported to be planning to purchase the Taipei Dome (台北大巨蛋) by putting together a deal worth NT$60 billion (US$1.9 billion).
Media reports said that firms and businesspeople that might join the consortium include South Korean-Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son (孫正義), founder and CEO of Japanese investment and e-commerce giant Softbank Group; the Chearavanont family, owners of Thailand-based Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group; and Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou (周杰倫).
The consortium reportedly aims to buy the operating rights of the Taipei Dome complex, belonging to Farglory Group (遠雄集團), which signed a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement with Taipei City Government in 2012 and completed it in May last year, after years of delays due to safety concerns, legal challenges and other issues.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The NT$37 billion stadium is planned to be mainly used for baseball, but it can also host soccer, softball and other competitive games, along with concerts and large-scale shows. With its 40,000 seating capacity, the Taipei Dome is the nation’s largest indoor sports venue.
The consortium members are reportedly eyeing the entire Taipei Dome complex — of which operation rights until 2060 are held by Farglory Group — and have potential commercial deals in mind. In addition to the indoor venue, the complex includes a shopping mall, a hotel, office spaces, restaurants, boutique shops, a movie theater and an underground parking lot, which are still under construction.
“It is true that since we have started operating the Taipei Dome, many companies and groups have contacted us... But we have no plans to sell it or to transfer business rights,” Farglory Group general manager Jacky Yang (楊舜欽) said yesterday.
“We still have the BOT agreement made with the Taipei City Government, so we are following it and offering the best service for citizens and sports fans,” Yang said.
A Taipei City Sports Department official said that the city government would respect Farglory Group’s decision.
Meanwhile, local media quoted a friend of Koo’s as saying “there is no concrete plans regarding a business deal on the Taipei Dome.”
However, Mirror Media yesterday reported that Koo told his close circle that a consortium — including him with a 50 percent stake, along with Softbank Group and CP Group with 20 percent each, other Taiwanese firms with about 10 percent and Jay Chou with 1 percent stakes — is preparing to buy the venue.
Koo is the owner of the Brothers, one of the six clubs in the CPBL, and head of national baseball association the CTBA. He also became president of the Baseball Federation of Asia in 2022
Sports pundits said that Koo has for a long time been planning to move the Brothers to the Taipei Dome from their current venue in Taichung.
They said that the interest in the Taipei Dome is high from clubs including the Wei Chuan Dragons and the Fubon Guardians.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
RSS