Tyger Cho graduated from Stanford University in 2019 with an economics degree and a plan to climb the investment ladder. Yet, four years later, after stints at Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), a startup, and an insurance firm, he moved to South Korea to launch a business for the Korean diaspora, Business Insider reported.
From Chicago Suburbs to Wall Street
Cho grew up about 25 miles northwest of Chicago in a Korean American family whose roots trace back to parents who immigrated in the mid-1970s.
"Although we celebrated the main Korean holidays, such as the Korean New Year's traditions of eating rice cake and dumpling soup before our annual bowing ceremony, we were not able to invest in teaching our kids the Korean language or more of its culture," his mother, Gina Cho, told Business Insider.
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Financial challenges struck when Cho's father lost his business, an experience that triggered his fascination with money management during adolescence. By high school, Cho devoured economics books and dreamed of professional investing, a passion that eventually took him to Stanford and then Goldman Sachs.
At Goldman, he worked on trades, market research, and presentations for wealthy clients but quickly became disillusioned by the hierarchy and long hours, telling Business Insider, "I felt like a dead person."
Life in Seoul Offers Lower Costs and Cultural Connection
After leaving Goldman, Cho tried a startup and later worked as chief of staff at an insurance firm before saving for six months to fund a move to Seoul in September 2024.
He initially planned to stay two or three months, without speaking the language or knowing anyone, yet he told Business Insider by "day two or three" he already felt comfortable, describing the food, sounds, and culture as "very warm."
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Cost-of-living differences also reshaped his view. “I had expected that my quality of living would maybe take a slight bump down,” he said. In Chicago, however, Cho paid $2,300 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, while in Seoul, a similar place costs him $1,600. When he injured his ankle and knee, X-rays and physical therapy cost less than $50 without insurance.
Building K-Bridge to Connect the South Korean Diaspora
Within seven months of moving, Cho founded K-Bridge, a platform designed to serve the global Korean diaspora. Using a visa provided under South Korea's Overseas Koreans Act, he started hosting monthly events in Seoul, with some drawing more than 70 professionals, Business Insider reported.
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He also records podcasts, runs a LinkedIn group, and manages a newsletter, all designed to create a professional community for Korean Americans and others of South Korean descent abroad. The company is currently self-funded, with Cho spending about $4,000 per month from savings, but he told Business Insider that he plans to sustain the platform through membership fees and sponsorships.
Despite feeling foreign at times in South Korea, Cho said, "Most importantly, my future feels full of possibility rather than being predetermined."
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