Pham Van Tam: Who is the former chairman of Asanzo who emerged from a cheap TV that has just been prosecuted?

Pham Van Tam, former Chairman of Asanzo, the TV brand that once "stormed" the Vietnamese market, is causing a stir. He has just been prosecuted on charges of "Smuggling" and "Tax Evasion". Once known for its low-cost televisions, this incident surprised many people.

Pham Van Tam: From a combed boy to the boss of a trillion-dollar corporation

Pham Van Tam, born in 1980 in Quang Ninh, did not choose the path of university education but soon entered life with many professions to make a living. From taking photos for a walk, selling pho to trading electronic components, each job helps him accumulate experience and understand the market better. It is these years of rolling that have forged business bravery and special acumen.

His passion for television has been rekindled in him since he was 11 years old. He soon realized the potential of the electronics industry, especially in the low-cost TV segment for the rural market, where big brands were still open. Imported products at that time often had high prices, difficult to access to the vast majority of people. At the end of 2013, he decided to establish Asanzo Company with the goal of producing medium-sized televisions from 21 to 32 inches, targeting customers in the provinces.

This bold decision has opened a new era for Vietnam's electronics market. Mr. Tam believes that, with a product with an affordable price, reasonable design and easy to use, Asanzo can completely conquer consumers.

The rapid success of the Asanzo brand

Pham Van Tam's business strategy has quickly achieved success. He focuses on quality products, reasonable prices, and a fast distribution system, covering all villages. After just one year of establishment, Asanzo has achieved sales of more than 100,000 televisions, and by 2015, this number had tripled.

In 2016, Asanzo's TVs sold reached 500,000 units, bringing the company's total revenue to more than 2,500 billion VND. By 2018, Asanzo has sold over 4 million products, achieving a record revenue of VND 6,250 billion, up 35% compared to the previous year. With more than 70 product lines, Asanzo has risen to the top 3 in Vietnam's electronics market, accounting for 18% of the country's market share. Asanzo's "Made in Vietnam" brand has become a symbol of rapid success, bringing pride to consumers and is likened to a fairy tale in the electronics industry.

Ambitions outside the industry and unfinished projects

After the peak of Asanzo, Mr. Tam continued to expand his business to many other fields. At the end of 2020, he established Winsan Group Investment Joint Stock Company with an expected capital of up to VND 1,000 billion. Winsan operates under a financial model for small and medium-sized agencies, a project that Mr. Tam has cherished since 2017. When it was first established, the company's charter capital was 300 billion VND, of which the boss Asanzo contributed 95% of the capital. However, after a period of strong communication, the website of this financial company shows no signs of working. The legal representative is also no longer Mr. Tam but was replaced by Mr. Phung Dong Hung.

More notably, in 2021, Mr. Tam announced with a group of investors to implement a project of 5 cattle farms stretching from Hoa Binh to Nghe An, with a capital scale of up to VND 2,000 billion. In particular, he also launched Ba Con Bo brand organic fertilizer products. This businessman shared the reason for entering the agricultural segment because Asanzo's main buyers are farmers, so he wants to accompany them.

However, the truth was quickly exposed when the manufacturer of this fertilizer brand suddenly affirmed that Mr. Tam did not invest in any farm at all. According to the manufacturer, the boss of Asanzo only buys and distributes Ba Con Bo products exclusively. Since then, Mr. Tam has not mentioned this product anymore. These unfinished, unrealistic projects reveal another aspect of his business path, which is not as smooth as it seems.

Legal spiral: From investigation to indictment

The inspection of the Tax Department of Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City from 2016 to July 2019 has opened up doubts about Asanzo's activities. This is the beginning of the fall of an empire.

From 13/8/2019 to 7/10/2019, the inspection team inspected the compliance with the tax law at Asanzo Company. The inspection conclusion determined that Asanzo had committed tax evasion and illegal use of invoices. Specifically, Asanzo Company bought components from Tran Thoan Company, then signed a contract with VTB Company to process and assemble part of it.

The finished product is an air conditioner item with an Asanzo stamp that is sold to Asanzo Refrigeration Company, but does not issue invoices and does not declare taxes, in order to keep it out of the accounting books. Moreover, the company used illegal value-added invoices (stating that the content is an item "air conditioner", which is not true to the fact that it is a "air conditioning component") to account for inputs and declare taxes as commercial activities.

On 30/10/2019, the Tax Department of Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City has issued a decision to transfer the case file with signs of crime to the Investigation Police Agency of the Ho Chi Minh City Police. Ho Chi Minh City to handle in accordance with the law. The tax assessment results concluded that through the inspection year from 2017 to the 2nd quarter of 2019, Asanzo Company had tax evasion with a total amount of more than 15.7 billion VND, including more than 4.1 billion VND of value-added tax and more than 11.5 billion VND of special consumption tax.

After many years of investigation, the People's Procuracy of Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City has just completed the indictment against the defendant Pham Van Tam (45 years old, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Asanzo Company). He was charged with "Smuggling" and "Tax Evasion". The indictment states that from January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2019, Mr. Tam directed the illegal import of complete products from China, then changed the label, assembled and consumed in the Vietnamese market. This behavior not only causes great losses to the state budget but also deceives consumers about the origin of the product.

The case of Pham Van Tam and Asanzo is not only an expensive lesson in the law, but also a wake-up call for agencies about transparency and business ethics. Mr. Tam's journey from the top to the abyss shows that, no matter how great the success, if it deviates from the legal framework, the price to pay will be extremely expensive.

Pham Van Tam: TV boss in trouble with the law, cut off from Shark Tank Hoàng Phúc21:23:47 15/08/2025Mr. Pham Van Tam (also known as Shark Tam) is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Asanzo Group Joint Stock Company, who was involved in a scandal when the company's products were said to be Chinese goods disguised as Vietnamese goods.