Stanley Ho’s youngest son Mario leads first listed Chinese company in the esports industry

NIP Group chairman Mario Ho, 29, has become the youngest founder of a Nasdaq-listed company in Asia

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NIP Group chairman Mario Ho Yau-kwan (front row, fourth from left), and his colleagues cheer during the bell-ringing ceremony at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square, New York City, on Friday. Photo: X/ NasdaqExchange

Ann Caoin Shanghai

Published: 7:30pm, 28 Jul 2024Updated: 7:34pm, 28 Jul 2024

Mario Ho Yau-kwan, the youngest son of the late Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun, on Friday became the youngest founder of a Nasdaq-listed company in Asia, as the 29-year-old entrepreneur’s esports firm NIP Group started trading in the United States.

NIP, which achieved a milestone as the first listed Chinese company in the esports industry, raised a total of US$20.25 million from its offering of 2.25 million American depositary shares at US$9 per share.

“Looking back at this journey, we started as an esports team [and] has now grown into becoming the representation of the global esports industry,” said Ho, NIP’s co-founder, chairman and co-chief executive, in a speech during the bell-ringing ceremony at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square, New York City.

“NIP group is ready to leave a significant mark on the global gaming industry as a Nasdaq-listed company,” he said, adding that going public in the US was a “dream-come-true” moment for him as an entrepreneur.

NIP Group chairman Mario Ho Yau-kwan (centre) and his colleagues pose in front of the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square, New York City, on Friday. Photo: X/ NasdaqExchange

Nasdaq vice-chairman Bob McCooey on Friday lauded Ho, born in 1995, for becoming the youngest founder of a Nasdaq-listed company in Asia. Ho is also the largest individual shareholder of NIP after the IPO, with a 13.6 per cent stake.

NIP intends to use the net proceeds from its US listing for working capital, expanding the presence of its esports teams, marketing and growing their fan base, potential strategic acquisition and investment opportunities, according to its prospectus.