Two things cast a shadow over the life of Wang Yung-ching - his falling out with eldest son Winston Wang Wen-yang and an aborted petrochemical project on the mainland.
Mr Wang Jnr was once considered his father's successor. He was executive vice-president of Nan Ya Plastics, a profitable subsidiary of the Formosa Plastics Group, until a widely publicised extramarital affair led to a falling out with his father and his dismissal from the company in 1995.
His affair with Annie Lu, then a 27-year-old doctoral student, who he taught part-time at National Taiwan University, greatly angered the tycoon. Mr Wang Snr, who was fond of his daughter-in-law Chen Ching-wen - who died of cancer last year - asked his son to decide between his family or his romance.
The split between father and son was reportedly triggered by Ms Lu, who publicly announced her love for the married Winston Wang and even wrote to the tycoon saying she was willing to accept being the son's unofficial wife.
Mr Wang Snr rejected the request and banished his son to the United States.
The other matter that bothered Mr Wang was his unsuccessful project in Haicang , near Xiamen in Fujian province .