ABSTRACT
The basic political features—the ownership and control—of Tencent are revealed in Chapter 3, starting with an examination of the backgrounds of the company’s founders and their connections. The profiles of Tencent’s owners and board of directors show substantial transnational characteristics and linkages. Particular attention is given to Tencent’s primary institutional stakeholder, the South Africa-based media conglomerate Naspers. Tencent has benefited enormously from this close relationship by extending its global reach via the Naspers worldwide network. The chapter also examines Tencent’s political-economic influences as an investor in the global digital industry.
