Jerry Yang

Xao Jerry Yang was born in 1967 in Vientiane, Laos, and fled the country as a child with his family after the communist takeover, spending four years in a Thai refugee camp before resettling in the United States. He earned a masters degree in health psychology and worked as a psychotherapist and social worker, taking up poker only as an amateur hobby in 2005. Two years later he entered the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event through a 225 dollar satellite tournament and won it outright, defeating Tuan Lam heads up for a first prize of 8.25 million dollars. Yang donated a substantial portion of his winnings to charities including the Make-A-Wish Foundation and his alma mater, Loma Linda University, and his path from refugee camp to poker champion remains one of the most told stories in the game.