Jason Wu

**Jason Nicholas Wu** (born 14 February 1981) is a Hawaiian politician, philanthropist, and relative of the Hawaiian royal family, who has served as minister of finance in the first and second Kanazawa ministries since 2018. Additionally, Wu has represented Oahu in the House of Representatives since 2014. He became a member of Hui Pū ʻAna in 2014, and later joined the Green-Progressive Party in 2021; due to disagreements regarding the party's direction, he joined the Hawaii National Party later that year.

Wu was born in Honolulu to a wealthy family, and graduated from Punahou School in 1999. After graduating, he moved to New Anglia to enroll in Harvard University, receiving a bachelor's degree in economics in 2003. After working in New York City as a financial analyst on Wall Street for one year, he returned to Harvard and received his master's degree in business administration in 2006. After completing his education, Wu returned to New York City and worked in finance, until returning to Honolulu in 2012. In Honolulu, Wu founded the Wu Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money for various charitable causes. He left his career in finance in order to run the foundation full-time out of Honolulu.

Wu entered politics in 2014, after standing as a candidate in Oahu for the newly formed Hui Pū ʻAna political party in the 2014 election; he was ultimately elected to the House of Representatives from the constituency. Upon taking his seat in parliament, Wu focused his legislating on issues regarding civil rights, finance, and social liberalism. After the 2018 election, Hui Pū ʻAna entered into a coalition with the Hawaiian National Party, ultimately leading to the creation of the Kanazawa ministry. Wu was ultimately nominated by Kanazawa to serve as minister of finance in the ministry, and later was appointed by Queen Keʻalohilani. Following the formation of the Green-Progressive Party in 2021, he switched his party membership, but due to disagreements regarding the party's direction, he joined the Hawaii National Party later that year. After switching his party membership, he was reelected in the 2021 general election, and was later appointed to the same position in the second Kanazawa ministry.

Wu has been cited as a "rising star" within Hawaiian politics, and a possible future party chairperson and prime minister. Identified within the center-left of Hawaiian politics, Wu advocates for social liberalism and economic policies that "provide a framework that allow for individuals to be safe and stable." He has additionally been a leading advocate on issues regarding civil rights, mainly focused on the Native Hawaiian community.

## Early life and education

Wu was born on 14 February 1981 in Honolulu to parents Lenard (born 1943) and Tania Wu (née *Gunawan*; born 1953). His father was born in Hawaii to Chinese immigrant parents from Nanjing, while his mother is Indonesian, born in Bandung to an Indonesian-Chinese father and Malaysian-Chinese mother; she immigrated to Hawaii in her teens to work as a model. Lenard is a business magnate in the tourism industry who owns a number of Hawaiian resorts, hotels, and restaurants, while Tania is a former model turned homemaker. Wu grew up in an affluent family, residing in the affluent Kahala neighborhood of Honolulu. He has two elder paternal half-siblings: Eleanor (born 1969) and Thomas (born 1971); and three younger full siblings: Roberta (born 1984), Derek (born 1986), and Katherine "Katy" (born 1987). His younger sister Katy became a popular singer and actress, later marrying Prince Michael and becoming a member of the Hawaiian royal family. She is expected to become a future queen consort.

Wu began his education in 1986, enrolling in Punahou School, an independent, coeducational preparatory school. While at Punahou School, Wu was a popular and gifted student. He began high school in 1995, where he captained his varsity soccer team, and was also elected class president and prom king. In his final year, he was chosen as "Most Likely to Become Famous," "Best Dressed," and "Most Likely to Succeed" by his classmates. After graduating in 1999, he moved to New Anglia to enroll in Harvard University, receiving a bachelor's degree in economics in 2003. While at Harvard, he also joined the Sigma Chi (ΣΧ) fraternity. Wu returned to Harvard in 2004, and received an MBA in 2006.

## Early career

After graduating with his bachelor's degree in 2003, Wu was hired as a junior financial analyst at Goldman Sachs on Wall Street. While he enjoyed the work, he left the position after a year to begin graduate school. In 2006, Wu returned to the New York City finance industry and was hired as a financial analyst at JPMorgan Chase. In 2009, he became a financial advisor for high-profile clients.

Wu left his finance career in 2012, and returned to Hawaii. Afterwards, he founded the Wu Family Foundation with the help of his father and younger sister. Wu became the CEO of the nonprofit organization, which raises money in order to donate to various charitable causes.

## Political career

### Early politics

Wu began his political career in 2014, when he stood as a candidate in Oahu for the newly formed Hui Pū ʻAna political party in the 2014 election. The party was formed the year prior by former Hawaii National Party politician Nathalia Arruda, and advocated for social liberalism and progressivism. Wu had formerly been a member of the Hawaii National Party, but registered with Hui Pū ʻAna upon its formation in 2014.

Wu was ultimately elected to the House of Representatives, and took his seat in parliament on 14 July 2014. Upon his election to parliament, Wu focused his legislating on civil rights and finance issues. Following the 2017 retirement of Arruda as party chairperson, Wu was tapped as a potential successor. He reportedly considered running a campaign against Olivia Abe to succeed Arruda, but ultimately decided not to and to instead endorse Abe.

### Finance minister

In the 2018 election, Hui Pū ʻAna expanded their seat count and became the fourth-largest party represented in parliament. After the certification of election results, the party was invited to begin coalition talks with the Workers Party. Negotiations with the Workers Party were not successful, as the parties were unable to reach agreements on key issues such as trade unions and social issues.

After Kenzie Kanazawa was declared the new chairperson of the Hawaii National Party, she opted to begin coalition talks of her own, opening talks with Hui Pū ʻAna. The parties came to an agreement on 12 September, and signed a coalition agreement later that day. After Kanazawa was appointed prime minister of Hawaii on 18 September, Wu was nominated to serve as minister of finance in the Kanazawa ministry later that day, and was appointed by Queen Keʻalohilani. As finance minister, Wu is responsible for overseeing Hawaiian government finances, economic policy, and financial regulation.

Following the formation of the Green-Progressive Party in 2021, he switched his party membership, but due to disagreements regarding the party's direction, he joined the Hawaii National Party later that year.. After switching his party membership, he was reelected in the 2021 general election, and was later appointed to the same position in the second Kanazawa ministry.

## Personal life

Wu began a relationship with New Anglian nonprofit executive Jacqueline Dionne in 2002, after meeting while both were students at Harvard University. After briefly ending their relationship in 2004, the two reconciled later that year; they became engaged in 2006, and later married in 2008. Wu and Dionne have two children together: Victoria (born 2010) and Ethan (born 2014).

Wu and his family reside primarily in a six-bedroom estate in the Kahala neighborhood of Honolulu, valued at $5.4 million. They also own a townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, and a beach house in Kauai. Their total real estate acquisitions amount to $12.9 million. He is fluent in English and Indonesian, and identifies as irreligious.