From Providing Grants To Over 10,000 Children With ADHD, ASD And COVID-19, To Building A Company To Save And Improve Lives, This CEO Could Be Taking Philanthropy To A New Level

Mr. Yat-Gai Au, chairman and CEO of Regencell Bioscience Holdings Ltd. RGC, is attracting a lot of press.

A quick search of Alphabet Inc.’s GOOGL Google provides clues to some of his achievements, including his passion for helping others.

That passion may be the inspiration behind the birth of Regencell Bioscience RGC. Mr. Au’s company prides itself as an early-stage bioscience company focused on the research, development and commercialization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). 

According to the company, these medicines treat neurocognitive disorders and degenerations and infectious diseases affecting people’s immune systems. 

Who Is Yat-Gai Au?

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Mr. Au began his career in investment banking at Deutsche Bank AG DB and ING Barings.

He has completed deals valued at more than $4 billion and won many prestigious merger and acquisitions (M&A) awards, according to reports.

Notable deals include the $750 million acquisition of Philippine Long Distance Telephone — now PLDT Inc. ADR PHI, the $650 million acquisition of Indofood and the $1.8 billion secondary placement for 40% interest in Hagemeyer — all executed on behalf of First Pacific Company Limited (HKG: 0142).

Establishing Regencell Bioscience

Over the years, Mr. Au says he has witnessed patients recover from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through TCM treatments. He wondered why such beneficial treatments are only available to a small number of patients and believed that the formula should be more readily available in order to help people around the world.

He established Regencell in 2014 after seeing notable improvements in many cases, including close friends and family members who had shown ADHD and ASD symptoms.

Giving Back

Regencell CEO says he is passionate about participating in and funding charitable activities for the elderly, gifted students and the financially underprivileged. In 2017, he established Regencell Foundation to be able to give back to society. He was taught at an early age that giving back is one of the most fulfilling thing one can do to make the world a better place. 

In 2020, during the early-days of the COVID-19 outbreak when face mask were scarce, he sourced and donated over 200,000 masks to hospitals, the elderly and needy families in Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the U.S.

Mr. Au also disclosed that he is spearheading a philanthropic project to provide grants to over 10,000 children afflicted with ADHD, ASD, COVID-19 and those in severe financial distress.

“I started providing grants on April 16, 2022, and have already helped over 200 children,” he said.

Supporting Company And Shareholders

To demonstrate his belief in the company, Mr. Au has been increasing his shareholdings in Regencell since Regencell’s IPO. He has also recently purchased ordinary shares in Regencell.

Based on his Schedule 13D filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission between July 27, 2021, and July 25, 2022, he used an aggregate of $5.9 million of his personal funds to buy the shares through the open market.

According to the latest filing, Regencell CEO owns 10,561,594 ordinary shares, representing 81.2% of total issued and outstanding shares, following his recent purchases. 

“Short and distort schemes used on our stock are negatively affecting our company,” Mr. Au said. “These schemes hurt our investors and patients, especially children and their families who are looking for a natural approach to treat ADHD, and ASD and COVID-19. It can potentially disrupt our mission to help patients in need.”

He said he agreed with Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk that sophisticated hedge funds are using short-selling and complex derivatives to take advantage of small investors.

“I will continue to draw a $1 annual salary and no bonus until the company reaches a $1 billion market capitalization and reserve share options for all employees except myself,” Mr. Au said.

He pledged to continue to use his funds to purchase company shares to demonstrate his commitment to Regencell and his position against short and distort sellers.

With a total cumulative short volume of over 19 million shares since the company’s initial public offering (IPO), Mr. Au says he began his share purchases last year using his personal funds to further the company’s goal to save and improve lives.

Additionally, company directors and employees who were previously granted stock options upon the company’s IPO have agreed to a further lockup undertaking for six months after their stock options become vested.

Since Regencell's incorporation in October 2014 up to the IPO, Mr. Au has fully funded the company. Upon the IPO, his $3.25 million loan to the company was converted into approximately 342,000 common shares at an initial offering price of $9.50.

As we are going through an unprecedented time, people are trying to find innovative ways to reshape the world in a positive way. Mr. Au and Regencell have been practicing good corporate social responsibility (CSR) and are working towards an ESG framework by integrating its business and employees’ personal values to create a sustainable business for the future. Mr. Au's and the company's philanthropic endeavors have not gone unnoticed. His idea is simple: perseverance to do social good and surround yourself with like-minded individuals will inevitably create a successful company, and that starts with hiring the best people who contribute to society and share the same values, where their actions count and views matter.

This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice.

Featured photo by Nasdaq Exchange