Yosi Tanco smoking competition, keeps firing on all cylinders

Tycoon Eusebio Tanco has been firing on all cylinders, with the businessman known as "Yosi" smoking his competition as of late.

- By RICHMOND MERCURIO

The red-hot Tanco, who recently powered his way into the Forbes annual ranking of the world's richest people—the only newcomer from the Philippines on the list—is far from cooling down as plans are underway for the expansion of his gaming, schools, shipping and insurance businesses.

Tanco, chairman of STI Education Systems Holdings and digital entertainment company DigiPlus Interactive, ranked No. 2,623 in the Forbes 2025 World's Billionaires list with $1.2 billion in net worth.

In August last year, he was also a notable gainer in the Forbes list of the Philippines' 50 richest, ranking at No. 22.

Tanco's wealth has skyrocketed primarily on surging shares of DigiPlus Interactive, which benefited from the government's crackdown on illegal offshore gambling firms.

DigiPlus shares closed at P35.65 on April 5, a significant jump from its 52-week low of P9.50.

The company is fresh from a successful 2024 wherein it recorded over 40 million registered users across its digital platforms and a net income of P12.6 billion, a 207-percent surge year-on-year.

Last January, DigiPlus also secured a definitive authority from the Brazilian government, allowing the company to operate iGaming products through DigiPlus Brazil Interactive Ltda.

Aside from Brazil, Tanco said that DigiPlus is continuously looking to expand in other markets where online gaming is legalized.