Sim Wong Hoo

Sim Wong Hoo (b. 1955, Singapore – d. 4 January 2023, Singapore) was a Singaporean billionaire technopreneur who founded Creative Technology, a company that designs and manufactures digital entertainment products. Sim served as chairman and chief executive officer of Creative Technology from 1981 until his death at in 2023.¹ He is known for developing the Sound Blaster sound card, a revolutionary product that enabled personal computers (PCs) to generate quality audio.

Early life and education
Born in 1955 as the 10th child in a Hokkien family of five boys and seven girls, Sim grew up in a kampung (village) in Bukit Panjang called End of Coconut Hill (椰山尾 ye shan wei), where Fajar Road is located today.² His father, Sim Chye Thiam (沈再添), worked as a labourer in a factory and later as a provision shop attendant.³ To supplement the household income, Sim’s mother, Madam Tan Siok Kee (陈玉枝), reared chickens, ducks, pigs, and rabbits, grew fruits and herbs, and sold eggs from door to door.⁴

Sim’s father passed away in 1969 when Sim was 13, leaving Madam Tan to raise the family.⁵ From a young age, in addition to doing chores at home and on the farm, Sim would also sell eggs at the market before school.⁶ Unable to afford toys, Sim enjoyed creating his own games and playing the harmonica, a hobby that he picked up at age 11 and regarded as his first love.⁷

Sim studied at Bukit Panjang Government High School then went on to Ngee Ann Polytechnic (then known as Ngee Ann Technical College), graduating with a diploma in electrical and electronic engineering in 1975.⁸

While studying at Ngee Ann, Sim joined the college’s harmonica troupe and found his creative outlet arranging musical scores for the troupe.⁹ Then, to provide accompaniment for their performances, Sim joined the Practice Theatre School run by playwright Kuo Pao Kun, and learned to play the accordion.¹⁰

Sim was impressed with the level of creative experimentation at the Practice Theatre School, particularly as students were given the opportunity to compose their own songs.¹¹ Sim struggled to refine his compositions as he would only know how they sounded during the troupe’s weekly practice. Thus, when he discovered computers, Sim saw the potential of building a synthesiser that would play his compositions exactly as they had been written.¹²

To Sim, exposure to music in his youth was a formative experience that sparked his creative drive and influenced his interest in PC audio, setting the foundation for Creative Technology and its iconic Sound Blaster.¹³

Inventor and entrepreneur
After completing his national service, Sim worked a few short stints before teaming up with an acquaintance to open a tuition centre offering computer classes at Coronation Plaza.¹⁴ He wanted only to teach and spend the rest of his time researching computer music, entrusting the business to the other party. However, he was left in the lurch when his partner absconded with the tuition fees.¹⁵ Reflecting on this episode, Sim was convinced that direct involvement and control were necessary when running a business.¹⁶

Creative Technology and Cubic 99, the first Singapore-made PC
In July 1981, Sim started Creative Technology with childhood friend and polytechnic schoolmate Ng Kai Wa.¹⁷ Chay Kwong Soon, former accordion classmate, came on board as the second cofounder in 1986.¹⁸

Sim set up office in a 440-square-foot shop at Pearl Centre, using his savings of S$10,000.¹⁹ To build capital, he taught computer tuition classes and sold computer products in his shop.²⁰ However, poor business prompted Sim to teach part-time at a private computer school.²¹

Sim was determined to create his own products and learned to do so on a shoestring budget. In 1984, Creative Technology introduced the first PC to be designed and manufactured in Singapore, the Cubic 99.²² This was followed two years later by the Cubic CT, a computer with multimedia and multilingual capabilities.²³ However, it was not a commercial success.²⁴

Sound Blaster
Sim then decided to focus on the music technology in the Cubic CT, and this led to the design of a low-cost device that generated high-quality stereo sound and special effects for the PC, named the Creative Music System (CMS), in 1987.²⁵

Sim wanted to establish the CMS as the international standard for PC audio, and took his product to the United States. The CMS was renamed Game Blaster to appeal to the game-centric American market.²⁶ He also offered free developer support to PC game developers keen on putting sound in their games, thereby gathering a wish list of requirements for a top-notch sound card.²⁷

The sound card Sim eventually developed was called Sound Blaster, which launched to overwhelming success in November 1989 during the annual computer expo trade show, Comdex, in Las Vegas, during which 600 orders were taken.²⁸

The Sound Blaster quickly became the industry standard, capturing 72 per cent of the global market share in 1992.²⁹ That year, Creative Technology became the first Singapore company to be listed on the American NASDAQ stock exchange.³⁰

For his vision and enterprise in building Creative Technology into an international multimedia company, and for setting an example for young Singapore entrepreneurs, Sim was named the 1992 Businessman of the Year during the Singapore Business Awards.³¹

CD-ROM drives
The company’s fortunes took a turn in 1996. Having diversified into CD-ROM drive manufacturing, Creative was hit by an industry-wide oversupply of lower-speed CD-ROM drives, forcing massive write-downs of its fast-obsolete inventory.³² Sim led efforts to transform the company and refocus on its core business in audio technology, leading to a rebound in profits and share prices.³³ For this successful turnaround, Sim won his second Businessman of the Year award in 1997.³⁴

MP3 players
In line with the new direction, the company broke into the market for personal digital entertainment products, launching a new portable digital music player, the Nomad, in 1999 – two years before Apple released the iPod.³⁵

Sim famously declared war on the iPod in 2004 with a new line of MP3 players including the Creative Zen Micro, touted as the company’s iPod killer.³⁶ In 2006, Sim made headlines for boldly taking Apple to court over patent infringements on the iPod user interface, and walked away with a US$100 million settlement.³⁷

Despite an early start and an aggressive marketing campaign, Creative failed to carve a share into Apple’s pie in the MP3 player market. Following huge losses, Creative embarked on cost-cutting measures, discontinued products with low profit margins and shifted towards higher-end gadgets instead.³⁸

Super X-Fi
Without a new product that could match the success of its flagship Sound Blaster, Creative faded into relative obscurity in subsequent years. Sim kept a low profile until 2019 when Creative made its comeback with the launch of Super X-Fi (SXFI) audio holography.³⁹

SXFI recreates the listening experience of a high-end multi-speaker system in headphones, the result of 20 years of research and development at a cost of US$100 million.⁴⁰ This ground-breaking technology, which Sim described as the “holy grail”⁴¹ of headphone audio, bagged 23 awards at the prestigious global Consumer Electronics Show in 2019 and 2020.⁴² To Sim, SXFI was “life-changing” and “100 times, 1,000 times more exciting than the Sound Blaster”.⁴³

No U-Turn Syndrome (NUTS)
In 1999, Sim released a book of personal anecdotes titled Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, in which he famously coined the term “No U-Turn Syndrome (NUTS)” to describe the Singaporean culture of not acting without prior approval from a higher authority.⁴⁴

Drawing an analogy, Sim observed that motorists in Singapore would only do a U-turn if there was a sign permitting them to do so, whereas motorists in the United States would U-turn anywhere on the road unless there was a sign forbidding it.⁴⁵ According to Sim, this Singaporean “no rule = no do” mindset paralyses action and impedes innovation. The term “NUTS” was quoted in parliamentary discussions on nurturing local entrepreneurs.⁴⁶

Philanthropy
An active donor, Sim contributed more than S$49 million to charity during his lifetime.⁴⁷ Notably, he donated S$30 million worth of Creative shares to set up two charity foundations in 2007.⁴⁸

The Sim-Tan Siok Kee Foundation was created in memory of Sim’s mother, who died in 2006 at the age of 97.⁴⁹ The foundation focuses on developing the arts, promoting education, and helping the elderly. It incorporated the former Creative Education and Arts Foundation (CREAF), which Sim started in 2001.

The Kuo Pao Kun foundation, which aimed to nurture performing arts in Singapore, was established in honour of Sim’s mentor and longtime friend, theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun, who passed away in 2002.⁵⁰

Death
Sim passed away on 4 January 2023 at the age of 67.⁵¹



Author
Janice Loo



References
1. “Creative Technology Founder and CEO Sim Wong Hoo Dies,” Channel NewsAsia, 5 January 2023.
2. Sim Wong Hoo, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium (Singapore: Cruxible Pte Ltd, 1999), 102 (Call no. RSING 338.761006092 SIM); Lim Say Boon, “Singapore’s New Business Heroes,” Straits Times, 11 October 1992, 1; “Ye shanwei 14 ren jiating de haizi” 椰山尾14人家庭的孩子 [The child of a family of 14 at End of Coconut Hill],” Zaobao联合早报, 18 July 1993, 56 (From NewspaperSG); “Shen Wangfu: Yeshanwei chuanqi, fang Shen Wangfu sijie Shen Xiumei” 沈望傅：椰山尾传奇 访沈望傅四姐沈秀梅 [Sim Wong Hoo: An interview with Sim Wong Hoo’s fourth sister Shen Xiumei],” Zaobao联合早报, 19 January 2023.
3. Joseph Rajendran, “A Sound Mind and a Creative Instinct,” Business Times, 9 January 1993, 3; Stephanie Yap, “Mum a Fighter till the End”, Straits Times, 5 January 2009, 40; Sim Siu Yok 沈秀梅, Wo de mama我的妈妈 [My mother] (Singapore: Young People’s Performing Arts Ensemble Ltd, 2008), 26–29 (Call no. RSING 920.72095957 SXM); Ang Ming Hwa, “Celebration of a Miraculous Life,” Straits Times, 2 January 2007, 38. (From NewspaperSG)
4. Sim Siu Yok, Wo de mama, 69; Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 140–43.
5. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 140.
6. Sim Siu Yok,  Wo de mama, 115; Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 27.
7. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 103.
8. Prisca Ang and Sherlyn Sim, “Creative Technology Founder Sim Wong Hoo Dies at Age 67,” Straits Times, 6 January 2023.
9. Chan Hwa Loon, “Still a Kampung Boy at Heart”, Straits Times, 30 May 1993, 3 (From NewspaperSG); Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 104.
10. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 104.
11. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 104.
12. Chan Hwa Loon, “Still a Kampung Boy at Heart”, Straits Times, 30 May 1993
13. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 104.
14. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 105–6; “Lots More Mountains to Climb, Says Award Winner Sim Wong Hoo,” Straits Times, 9 January 1993, 44; Lim Say Boon, “Singapore’s New Business Heroes,” Straits Times, 11 October 1992, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
15. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 106–7.
16. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 107.
17. “The Other Two Behind the Creative Triumvirate Prefer a Low-key Image,” Straits Times, 30 August 1993, 39; Chan Hwa Loon, “Still a Kampung Boy at Heart”, Straits Times, 30 May 1993. (From NewspaperSG)
18. Grace Chng, “Re-ignite that Creative Spark,” Straits Times, 3 October 2010, 42. (From NewspaperSG)
19. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 79, 107.
20. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 79–80.
21. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 80–81, 108.
22. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 108; Fong Weng Fatt, “Creative Four Build Singapore’s First Low-cost Computer,” Singapore Monitor, 14 October 1984, 6; “The First Made-in-Singapore Personal Computer,” Singapore Monitor – 2^nd Edition, 31 October 1984, 5. (From NewspaperSG)
23. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 108–9; “Enter the Cubic CT,” Straits Times, 30 May 1986, 14.
24. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 109; Lim Say Boon, “Singapore’s New Business Heroes,” Straits Times, 11 October 1992, 1; Joseph Rajendran, “A Sound Mind and a Creative Instinct,” Business Times, 9 January 1993.
25. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 110; Joseph Rajendran, “A Sound Mind And A Creative Instinct,” Business Times, 9 January 1993.
26. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 110.
27. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 110; Lim Say Boon, “Singapore’s New Business Heroes,” Straits Times, 11 October 1992, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
28. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 111–12; Lynette Ong, “Local Computer Manufacturer Makes Headway in US,” Straits Times, 1 December 1989, 45. (From NewspaperSG)
29. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 112; “Creative Makes History – And Lots of Money,” Business Times, 22 December 1992, 9; “Rivals’ Multi-media PCs Sound Sour Note for Creative,” Business Times, 8 March 1993, 16. (From NewspaperSG)
30. Joseph Rajendran, “Creative Technology Shares Make Strong Debut in US,” Business Times, 5 August 1992, 1 (From NewspaperSG); Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 112.
31. “Businessman of the Year is Man Behind the Sound Blaster,” Straits Times, 9 January 1993, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
32. Jennifer Lien, "CD-ROM Drive Makers Face Overstock Crisis," Business Times, 2 April 1996, 1; Tammy Tan, "Creative to Make Third Inventory Writedown of $28m," Straits Times, 11 July 1996, 40; "Creative Back on Sound Footing," Straits Times, 8 June 1997, 2. (From NewspaperSG)
33. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 113; "Creative Back on Sound Footing," Straits Times, 8 June 1997, 2; Grace Chng, "What Goes Down Must Come Up," Straits Times, 1 April 1998, 1; Jennifer Lien, "Sim Wong Hoo Now a Billionaire," Business Times, 7 November 1997, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
34. Narendra Aggarwal, “Creative Creator is Tops Again,” Straits Times, 28 March 1998, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
35. Grace Chng, “Personal Digital Entertainment Products Will Be Affordable,” Straits Times, 3 February 1999, 114; Toh Han Shih, “Creative Puts Its Bets on New MP3 Player,” Business Times, 20 March 1999, 13; Audrey Tan, “Poor Execution Puts Paid to Creative’s Bet on MP3 Players,” Straits Times, 29 June 2005, 21. (From NewspaperSG)
36. Kenneth Tan, “Creative Wants a Bite of the Apple,” Today – 2^nd edition, 14; Billy Teo, “Creative Declares War on Apple,” Straits Times, 14 October 2004, 11. (From NewspaperSG)
37. Roland Lim, “Creative Scores Surprise Victory against Apple,” Business Times, 25 August 2006, 1; Oh Boon Ping, “A Creative Bite of the Apple,” Business Times, 25 August 2006, 3; Bryan Lee, “Apple Pays Creative $158m to Settle Lawsuit,” Straits Times, 25 August 2006, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
38. Grace Ng, “Creative Swings into the Red with $187m Full-year Loss,” Straits Times, 11 August 2006, 26; Bryan Lee, “Creative Banks on Cost-cutting Effort to Return to Profitability,” Straits Times, 11 August 2006, 25; Oh Boon Ping, “Creative Should Stick to Killer-app Route,” Business Times, 29 November 2006, 5. (From NewspaperSG)
39. Sumiko Tan, “Creative Technology’s Sim Wong Hoo is back, with Super X-Fi getting rave reviews,” Lunch With Sumiko, Straits Times, 20 January 2019. (From NewspaperSG)
40. Tan, “Creative Technology’s Sim Wong Hoo.”
41. Tan, “Creative Technology’s Sim Wong Hoo.”
42. “Accolades of Super X-Fi,” Creative Technology Ltd, accessed 20 February 2023.
43. Janet Ong, “Creative Technology Returns to Relevance with Sim Wong Hoo's Super X-Fi,” Yahoo! Finance, 15 April 2019.
44. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 179–86.
45. Sim, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 179.
46. Anil Menon, “Suddenly, MPs Going Nuts over ‘Chaotic’ Wisdom of Mr Creative,” Straits Times, 13 March 2003, 6. (From NewspaperSG)
47. Debbie Goh, “A $20m Gift to Mark 20 Creative Years,” The Straits Times, 1 July 2001, 1; Tor Ching Li, “A $20m Christmas Gift to Charity, Courtesy of Creative’s Sim,” Today, 27 December 2006, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
48. Grace Chng, “2 Charities Get 2 Million Creative Shares, “ Straits Times, 27 December 2006, H3; “Creative CEO to Donate Another $10m to Foundation,” Today, 3 January 2007, 8. (From NewspaperSG)
49. Alfred Siew, “Mother’s Memory Spurs $10m Gift”, Straits Times, 3 January 2007, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
50. “About Kuo Pao Kun Foundation,” Kuo Pao Kun Foundation Limited, accessed 20 February 2023; Grace Chng, “2 Charities Get 2 Million Creative Shares, “ Straits Times, 27 December 2006, H3. (From NewspaperSG)
51. Prisca Ang and Sherlyn Sim, “Creative Technology founder Sim Wong Hoo Dies at Age 67,” Straits Times, 6 January 2023. (From Newslink via NLB’s eResources website)



The information in this article is valid as of February 2023 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.