TIANTIAN Kullander was the high-flying co-founder of cryptocurrency company Amber Group but died in his sleep at just 30.
Kullander’s sudden death shocked the cryptocurrency world and raised questions about what exactly happened to the entrepreneur.
But what is the story behind Kullander, known as TT, and what was his net worth?
Who was Tiantian Kullander?
Tiantian Kullander was born in 1992 in Hong Kong.
In 2015, Kullander co-founded Amber Group with a group of friends who worked at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.
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Kullander had worked at both finance titans before leaving to pursue his own venture.
What first started as a side venture by four traders to investigate machine learning for buying and selling became their full-time jobs in 2017.
But they pivoted towards cryptocurrency and now help clients buy and sell crypto products, earning yield, managing risk, and accessing liquidity.
On the Amber Group website, the founders describe themselves as a team of “entrepreneurial technologists, traders, and engineers on a mission to create frictionless marketplaces”.
Amber Group is based in Singapore but has a presence in Athens, Geneva, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Mexico City, Taipei, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Zurich.
The firm reached a valuation of $3 billion but like most of the cryptocurrency industry in 2022, was hit hard by the bear market.
The company cut 10 per cent of its staff in 2022, with Kullander saying it was “reducing in roles that are lower in priority given market conditions, and increasing headcount in roles that are higher priority.”
In 2020, Kullander founded Rook Labs, a virtual memory pool which allows DeFi applications and users to coordinate, capture, and distribute profit (MEV) arising from on-chain arbitrage, liquidations, system upkeep, and auctions.
He also founded KeeperDAO, the first on-chain liquidity underwriter and is a board member for Fnatic – a successful e-sports firm.
What happened to Tiantian Kullander?
The father-of-one, who was named on the Forbes prestigious 30-under-30 list in 2019, died ‘unexpectedly’ on November 23.
No further details were provided surrounding the cause of death.
Amber Group was on the edge of securing a huge investment and was reportedly in the process of raising around $100 million.
In a statement, Amber Group said: “Kullander put his heart and soul into the company, in every stage of its growth. He led by example with his intellect, generosity, humility, diligence and creativity.
“TT was a respected thought leader and widely recognised as a pioneer for the industry. His depth of knowledge, his willingness to collaborate and his desire to always help others benefited countless start-ups and individuals.
“TT was a devoted husband, a loving father and a fierce friend. His passing is a tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
“He is survived by his wife and their beloved son. We kindly request that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
Who is Tiantian Kullander’s wife Monica Qian?
Tiantian Kullander was married to social media influencer Monica Qian and the couple had a son.
What was Tiantian Kullander’s net worth?
Tiantian Kullander had a net worth of around $120 million at the time of his death from his stake in Amber Group and Rook Labs.