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Sim Wong Hoo

The kampung-born inventor who gave computers their voice — and took Apple to court for US$100 million

Deceased — Founder, chairman, and CEO of Creative Technology for 42 consecutive years. He died on 4 January 2023 at the age of 67, leaving behind the 400-million-unit Sound Blaster legacy and a US$100 million settlement from Apple.

Sim Wong Hoo was born in 1955 into a Zhao'an Hokkien family in Singapore, the tenth of twelve children, and grew up in a kampung in Bukit Panjang. He studied at Bukit Panjang Government High School, then earned a diploma in electrical and electronic engineering from Ngee Ann Technical College in 1975. After National Service and a year in the private engineering sector, he founded Creative Technology in July 1981 with modest capital — widely reported at around S$10,000 — alongside his schoolmate and childhood friend Ng Kai Wa. Their first location was a computer shop at Pearl's Centre in Chinatown.

Creative's earliest products included an add-on memory board for the Apple II and a bilingual computer adapted for the Singapore market. But it was the audio work that changed the PC industry. After the Creative Music System and the Game Blaster, Creative launched the Sound Blaster in November 1989 — a card that combined broad compatibility, music synthesis, and digitised audio to become the industry standard. Creative's revenue went from US$5.4 million in 1989 to US$658 million in 1994, and crossed US$1.2 billion the following year. In 1992 Creative became the first Singapore company listed on Nasdaq, and by 2000 Sim had become Singapore's youngest billionaire at 45.

Then came the iPod. Creative had entered the portable MP3-player market before Apple, launching its Nomad line in 1999, but Apple's iPod and iTunes ecosystem eventually overwhelmed Creative's portable-player business. In 2006 Creative sued Apple, alleging the iPod's navigation interface infringed a patent Creative had been granted. Apple countersued. The dispute ended when Apple paid Creative US$100 million for a licence to the patent. Sim never stopped inventing — in 2018 he unveiled Super X-Fi at CES, a technology he said took 20 years and US$100 million to develop. He never married, and died on 4 January 2023 at 67.

Quick facts

Born
1955, Singapore (Zhao'an Hokkien family)
Founded Creative
July 1981 (with Ng Kai Wa)
Sound Blaster launched
November 1989
Revenue
US$5.4M (1989) → US$658M (1994)
Nasdaq listing
1992 (first Singapore company)
Apple settlement
US$100 million (2006)
Sound Blaster units
400 million+ sold
Died
January 4, 2023 (aged 67)

Sources

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