
Empires - An Asian Business Podcast
If you love Business Wars, you'll love this!
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.
Latest episodes

Jul 3, 2023 • 33min
Alibaba (CN) | Hidden Treasures | 2
Alibaba is the Amazon of China, who's annual active user base is equivalent to the entire population of India.
Alibaba, draws 70% of its total revenue from domestic operations and an additional 7% from international commerce. The firm also has a growing cloud division, similar to Amazon's, accounting for 9% of its revenues. The remaining revenues are generated from its digital media and distribution sectors.
Throughout its growth, Alibaba would face industry titans such as eBay, and Amazon themselves, but emerge on top - creating the next wave of China billionare dragons.
In Ep 1. We'll learn the humble life and painful experiences that turn Alibaba founder, Jack Ma into a global icon.
In Ep 2. We'll follow the establishment (Joe Tsai, John Wu, Savio Kwan), rise then repercussion of Alibaba's ambitions as the dot com recession came smashing in.
In Ep 3. We'll witness the intense war games between Alibaba and eBay, that birthed Taobao & Alipay (Ant Financial).
In Ep 4. We'll observe the major mistep that eBay made, and the controversial deal that turned Alibaba into a billion dollar enterprise.
In Ep 5. We'll behold the final transformation of Alibaba - that formed what experts call the iron triangle; dominating in e-commerce, mobile payments and supply chain.
In Ep 6. We'll speak to both Cynthia Ding (Founder Partner of Yincubator) and Jeremy Au (VC & Chief of Staff for Monk's Hill Ventures) to learn more about their involvement in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
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)

Jun 26, 2023 • 32min
Alibaba (CN) | Open Sesame | 1
Alibaba is the Amazon of China, who's annual active user base is equivalent to the entire population of India.
Alibaba, draws 70% of its total revenue from domestic operations and an additional 7% from international commerce. The firm also has a growing cloud division, similar to Amazon's, accounting for 9% of its revenues. The remaining revenues are generated from its digital media and distribution sectors.
Throughout its growth, Alibaba would face industry titans such as eBay, and Amazon themselves, but emerge on top - creating the next wave of China billionare dragons.
In Ep 1. We'll learn the humble life and painful experiences that turn Alibaba founder, Jack Ma into a global icon.
In Ep 2. We'll follow the establishment (Joe Tsai, John Wu, Savio Kwan), rise then repercussion of Alibaba's ambitions as the dot com recession came smashing in.
In Ep 3. We'll witness the intense war games between Alibaba and eBay, that birthed Taobao & Alipay (Ant Financial).
In Ep 4. We'll observe the major mistep that eBay made, and the controversial deal that turned Alibaba into a billion dollar enterprise.
In Ep 5. We'll behold the final transformation of Alibaba - that formed what experts call the iron triangle; dominating in e-commerce, mobile payments and supply chain.
In Ep 6. We'll speak to both Cynthia Ding (Founder Partner of Yincubator) and Jeremy Au (VC & Chief of Staff for Monk's Hill Ventures) to learn more about their involvement in the region.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
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)

Jun 19, 2023 • 28min
Globe Telecom (PH) | Interview, Gcash CMO | 6
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era.
In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu.
In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT.
In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns.
In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
In Ep 6 (Guest). We speak to Gcash's Chief Marketing Officer, Neil Trinidad to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
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 partner this week:
What's AP? Araling Panlipunan Rebooted

Jun 12, 2023 • 35min
Globe Telecom (PH) | Interview, Maya CMO | 5
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era.
In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu.
In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT.
In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns.
In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
In Ep 6 (Guest). We speak to Gcash's Chief Marketing Officer, Neil Trinidad to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
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)

Jun 5, 2023 • 29min
Globe Telecom (PH) | Fintech Wars: Gcash vs Maya | 4
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era.
In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu.
In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT.
In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns.
In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
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)

Jun 1, 2023 • 26min
Globe Telecom (PH) | A World of Change | 3
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era.
In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu.
In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT.
In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns.
In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
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)

May 29, 2023 • 22min
Globe Telecom (PH) | Finding Connection | 2
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era.
In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu.
In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT.
In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns.
In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
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)

May 26, 2023 • 25min
Globe Telecom (PH) | An Astronomical Opponent | 1
In the 2020s, Philippines went through a fintech revolution. 80% of unbanked Filipinos or 90 million users were caught in the Gcash and PayMaya (now Maya) fintech war which had metamorphosized the country.
But this war is part of a broader picture.
From an international standpoint it seems like a proxy war between the China companies, Tencent (who backed Maya) and Alibaba (Gcash). But domestically the rivalry actually extends decades earlier as both fintech companies are offshoots from the 2 largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT (who backed Maya) and Globe Telecom (Gcash).
The latter, Globe Telecom is one of the greatest success stories in the Philippines, because back then PLDT had over twice the number of users, and operating cash flow, with about 4 times the market value as Globe Telecom.
But today? Globe Telecom had come to compete against PLDT as equals.
In Ep 1. We reveal the disproportionate rise of PLDT, forged during a time of great unfairness in the Marcos Ferdinand era.
In Ep 2. We explain the astronomical challenges ahead of Globe Telecom to beat PLDT, and introduce the man responsible in leading the charge - Ernest Cu.
In Ep 3. We explore into the rapid transformation that Globe Telecom underwent, eventually beating out PLDT.
In Ep 4. We dive head first into the fintech wars between Gcash and Maya, which birth the country's first 2 unicorns.
In Ep 5 (Guest). We speak to Maya's Chief Marketing Officer, Pepe Torres to understand more about the on-going fintech wars.
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
Want to meet the team? Follow me here!
-
If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:
😴🕯️"Bedtime True Crime", A calm and thoughtful look on the darkest narratives of men (Spotify/ Apple)
📝💕 "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)

May 4, 2023 • 25min
Samsung (KR) | A Cosmic War Part 2 | 5
Samsung is a company that is too big to fail. It's business categories represent more than 20% of Korea's GDP, and close to 30% of Vietnam's.
The Samsung that we know, Samsung Electronics is made of the consumer electronics segment (50%), semiconductors (30%), displays (10%) and connected home systems (10%).
But Samsung is actually a massive business empire, owned by a mysterious Lee family who is now at its 3rd generation of leaders. The Lee family, part of Korea's elite chaebols, had been a boon for authorities in the last 60 years and yet they are often creditted for Korea's phenomenal rise.
Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-Chul or B.C. Lee in 1938, and eventually the empire would grow so huge that it fracture into 4 other entities - Saehan, Hansol, Shinsegae and the CJ Group. But it would be the world of consumer electronics that they are most known for, eventually beating the likes of Sony in TV, possibly Apple in the smartphone, and broker deals in software with Google.
In Ep 1. We reveal the humble beginnings of B.C. Lee, and Samsung Sanghoe
In Ep 2. We explain the political partnerships, and inter-family rivalry that shattered the original Samsung empire.
In Ep 3. We meet Lee Kun-Hee, the 2nd generation Lee that would turn Samsung Electronics into the global behemoth that it is today.
In Ep 4. We dive into the war on Sony for TVs (Bordeaux) and Apple on smartphones (Galaxy).
In Ep 5. We continue exploring the smartphone wars, and Samsung's software gamble against Google (Android, Milk).
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
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)

May 1, 2023 • 24min
Samsung (KR) | A Cosmic War Part 1 | 4
Samsung is a company that is too big to fail. It's business categories represent more than 20% of Korea's GDP, and close to 30% of Vietnam's.
The Samsung that we know, Samsung Electronics is made of the consumer electronics segment (50%), semiconductors (30%), displays (10%) and connected home systems (10%).
But Samsung is actually a massive business empire, owned by a mysterious Lee family who is now at its 3rd generation of leaders. The Lee family, part of Korea's elite chaebols, had been a boon for authorities in the last 60 years and yet they are often creditted for Korea's phenomenal rise.
Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-Chul or B.C. Lee in 1938, and eventually the empire would grow so huge that it fracture into 4 other entities - Saehan, Hansol, Shinsegae and the CJ Group. But it would be the world of consumer electronics that they are most known for, eventually beating the likes of Sony in TV, possibly Apple in the smartphone, and broker deals in software with Google.
In Ep 1. We reveal the humble beginnings of B.C. Lee, and Samsung Sanghoe
In Ep 2. We explain the political partnerships, and inter-family rivalry that shattered the original Samsung empire.
In Ep 3. We meet Lee Kun-Hee, the 2nd generation Lee that would turn Samsung Electronics into the global behemoth that it is today.
In Ep 4. We dive into the war on Sony for TVs (Bordeaux) and Apple on smartphones (Galaxy).
In Ep 5. We continue exploring the smartphone wars, and Samsung's software gamble against Google (Android, Milk).
-
We're looking to grow our team! Help support our productions here :') Buy Me a Coffee
-
Want to discover more origins, rise & fall on Asian business empires? Follow us on our
Tiktok where we share 5 minute breakdowns of some of the most interesting Asian businesses.
Youtube to understand the bigger picture beyond the Asian business empires.
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)