From music show host to tycoon's adviser

Dr Catherine Wu, who came under the spotlight in the saga involving City Developments Limited (CDL), chatted with Taiwanese TV host Paul Lee on an episode of his talk show Da-win Dining aired in November 2024.

- Lim Ruey Yan

In the TV interview, Dr Wu, who was born in Taiwan, revealed that she is the only daughter in her family and that she has five elder brothers and one younger brother. Her mother ran a kindergarten for over 50 years.

Dr Wu's eldest brother Wu Ching-kuo is the most well known. The 78-year-old is a former president of the International Boxing Association and a former member of the International Olympic Committee.

Dr Wu, who is in her 60s, and her siblings have a total of six doctoral degrees, including her doctorate in music education.

As she grew up with six brothers, her parents sent her to pursue music education in the hope that she could cultivate a more demure temperament.

"My parents were worried that I would be too boyish when I grew up, so they wanted me to learn music," she told Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao in a separate interview published in August 2024. "They felt that music could help cultivate a girl's temperament."