An Underwriting Anecdote: Why Not Pray to Guan Gong for an IPO?

Originally published 2026-01-03Robin’s anecdote, shared in a lighthearted conversation

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English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2026-01-03. Translated 2026-10-30 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文

Reading guide

Robin recalls a story from his underwriting days. After filing an IPO application, he wanted to pray for a smooth review and told his supervisor he would visit Xingtian Temple to pray to Guan Gong, the martial god of wealth. His supervisor warned him against it: Guan Gong embodies righteousness and vanquishes demons, so a company as questionable as this one would surely be struck down. He suggested another temple instead, claiming it was so efficacious that spiritually sensitive visitors could feel a blessing of sacred light and see a deity manifest. Robin joked that this could qualify as a top secret of Taiwan’s capital-markets industry. He offered a clue: a famous temple in southwestern Taipei with nearly 50,000 Google reviews, apparently the highest number among the city’s temples. After moving into venture capital, he discussed investment-related prayers with a senior acquaintance, who recommended a nearby Earth God temple rather than a major temple. Each neighborhood has its own, much like a neighborhood chief with a designated jurisdiction.

Key points

After filing an IPO application, Robin wanted to pray to Guan Gong; his supervisor stopped him.
The supervisor joked that Guan Gong would strike down such a questionable company.
The clue: a famous temple in southwestern Taipei with nearly 50,000 reviews.
A senior acquaintance recommended a nearby Earth God temple, with its own local jurisdiction.

Columns and beams in an open building are connected by central rods and balanced weights, suggesting structure and checks in governance. — Capital markets & governanceThematic illustration · AI generated

Full text — English translation

Talking about temple prayers with the CFO of a portfolio company suddenly reminded me of an old story. Back when I worked in underwriting, I told my supervisor after submitting an IPO application that I wanted to pray for a smooth review. He asked which deity I would visit. I said I would go to Xingtian Temple to pray to Guan Gong—after all, he is the martial god of wealth. My supervisor said, “Are you out of your mind? Absolutely not. Guan Gong is full of righteousness and loyalty, vanquishing demons and evil. This company you have submitted is so questionable that praying to him would surely get it struck down. I would suggest XXX instead…” XXX… According to my supervisor, it was remarkably efficacious: spiritually sensitive people who visited could feel a blessing of sacred light and see a deity manifest. My immediate reaction was that this could qualify as a top secret of Taiwan’s capital-markets industry. ----- To unlock XXX: the comments below already mention the deity. The location is the best-known temple in southwestern Taipei. With nearly 50,000 Google reviews, it appears to have the most reviews of any temple in the city. ------ After I started working in venture capital, I discussed praying in connection with investment with a senior acquaintance. His view was that a nearby Earth God temple was better than a major temple. Each neighborhood has its own, rather like a neighborhood chief: each has its own jurisdiction.

These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.

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