Largen enjoyed a decade-long reign as Apple’s top optical lens manufacturer, priding itself on secrecy and developing in-house talent and technology. The company became a powerhouse when it switched to plastic lenses during a time competitors were still using glass. When Apple released its dual-lens iPhone in 2016, Largan’s stock price was above NT$1000 a share.

Adam Lin (En-ping Lin), son of founder Scott Lin (Yao-ying Lin), joined the family business in 2006, becoming its CEO in 2010. Lin is known to be as tough as he is laconic, having won every lawsuit his company filed. In 2020, the company recorded a decline in orders due to the US sanctions on Huawei, and faced further challenges in 2021 when Apple shifted a majority of its suppliers to China, overtaking Taiwan for the first time. In light of this, Largan will be re-entering the automotive market, making lenses for advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS)-empowered autonomous vehicles.