Mario Ho is a young but strategic businessman carrying on the legacy of Chinese billionaire Stanley Ho, the most famous Macau casino mogul. Despite being the youngest son in the family, Mario is shouldering responsibilities not many of his age can. The 29-year-old co-founded the NIP Group, the first Nasdaq-listed esports company in Asia. This has placed Mario as the youngest co-founder of an Asian company listed by the American stock exchange.
Mario Ho inherited his father’s leadership skills, entrepreneurial courage, and energy. In 2023, he was named the youngest entrepreneur of Fortune China’s 40 Under 40 business elites. One of his visions is positioning esports as the new normal in global digital entertainment. The esports company’s expected net worth by 2027 is US$102.4 billion.
Mario Ho’s NIP Group is built to connect Chinese culture with global gaming, and our online casino takes a bird’ s-eye view of his full-fledged journey.
Mario Ho: From Math Genius to Casino Mogul to Esports Pioneer
According to our casino news investigation, Mario Ho is the 16th child and youngest son of the late respected billionaire Stanley Ho. He was born on January 12, 1995. His mother’s name is Angela Leon, a famous billionaire and politician who is Stanley’s fourth and last wife.
His father Stanley was the founder and chairman of SMJ Holdings, which operated 19 Macau casinos. He oversaw most of the city’s gambling business. Though many accused him of monopoly, his strategic approach paid off, playing a significant role in turning Macau into the world’s gambling capital. Mr. Stanley passed away in 2020.
His son Mario Ho was a math genius since childhood. He won five gold medals at the British National Mathematics Open for five consecutive years, from 2008 to 2012. Mario was also the best-ranked mathematician in the 2008 and 2009 Hong Kong World Mathematics Open.
After graduating from high school, Oxford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offered him admission. He eventually chose MIT to study management science, a four-year course he completed within three years. Mario graduated in 2016 and was admitted into the finance master’s program at MIT.
In 2019, the casino tycoon’s son proposed to his partner Ming Xi, a Chinese supermodel, with mind-blowing 99,999 roses. The couple got married after the generous, romantic expression of love. Mario and his wife welcomed their firstborn son the same year. Their second child, a daughter, was born in 2021.
From MIT to Esports
Mario Ho did not complete his Master’s program at MIT. Instead, he began working as a chief marketing officer at iDreamsky Technology Holdings, a Tencent-backed games publisher. He had always wanted to carve his own path and write his story, separating his family business from his.
In 2018, Mario Ho launched an esports club, Victory Five, in Shenzhen, which, in 2020, merged the club with the eStar esports club to form Wuhan ESVF. Last year, ESVF joined hands with the Sweden-based esports team Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) to establish the now global firm NIP Group.
The Mario Ho Vision: Bridging the Chinese Culture With Gaming
NIP Group is a pioneering digital sports entity aiming to redefine esports globally. The company intends to be a key player in connecting China to the global gaming audience.
In an interview with Global Times, a news agency, Mario Ho stated that he hoped NIP Group can become a bridge between China and the world, between young people and esports, and between Chinese culture and global trends, allowing more people to experience esports and connect with China.
While its main operations are in China, NIP Group has developed into one of the world’s most prominent esports companies under Mario Ho’s leadership. The company has secured tier-1 tournament wins of some of the world’s top ten esports titles by the prize pool: FIFA, CS, Rainbow Six, and Honor of Kings.
Additionally, NIP Group has branches in Sao Paulo and Stockholm. Its other famous subsidiaries include eStar Gaming and Ninjas in Pyjamas, which are highly involved in live-stream events. These live streams have continually brought in significant revenue for the company, just like how online casino live games have paid out good sums to players.
In a Nutshell
Mario Ho is successfully positioning Esports at the forefront of digital entertainment. Having come from a casino family, he’s expanding gaming beyond its usual boundaries. With 13.6% of the company’s post-initial offering shares, Mario Ho holds the largest individual share in NIP Group, and his voting right is 36.6%.
Under his leadership, the company has thrived. On July 26, 2024, NIP Group became the first Chinese esports company to be listed on Nasdaq. To scale further, the group is adopting several strategies, such as incorporating esports training camps, digital collectibles, and real estate.
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