【Interview with Crossing】
SWAG’s Accidental Rise into a Multi-Hundred-Million-Revenue “Unconventional Startup”:
How Sam Liu Built an Adult Platform That Took Asia by Storm
Photo Credit：The News Lens
By identifying a niche market and moving swiftly to capture demand, adult video platform SWAG has grown into a startup generating hundreds of millions in annual revenue within just six years.
After experimenting with multiple projects in pursuit of entrepreneurship, founder Sam Liu finally discovered a sector where he could fully realize his ambitions. But what vision does he hold for the future of Taiwan’s adult entertainment industry?
A Police Raid That Felt Like a Major Crime Scene
On April 1, 2021, a large group of criminal investigators arrived at a commercial office building in downtown Taipei, appearing as though they were about to crack down on a major criminal operation.
Yet when officers pushed open the doors, they were stunned.
Inside was a bright, modern office space — complete with a snack bar in the lobby — resembling nothing more than a youthful, energetic tech startup. The average employee age was only around 28.
Some staff members even joked, assuming the police presence was an elaborate April Fool’s prank arranged by their boss.
There was no sense of “criminal activity” at all.
Authorities soon located the person in charge — a man in his thirties, a father of three who had just dropped his children off at school. The supposed “ringleader” was Sam Liu.
Police admitted their surprise.
“We thought you’d be working in some dark environment like a fraud syndicate,” they told him. “We imagined the boss would look like a gangster covered in tattoos.”
What shocked them even more was that Sam was a graduate of the University of Manchester in the UK and had previously worked as an engineer at IBM.
Who exactly were these people — and what had drawn such intense attention from law enforcement?
When the police entered, they were surprised to find that the office did not resemble a "criminal hideout" at all.
Taiwan’s Leading Adult Platform Founded by an Overseas-Educated Engineer
The company was none other than SWAG — a well-known name among Taiwan’s online communities.
Because of its adult content focus, SWAG frequently made headlines and became a popular topic on internet forums, spawning memes and even humorous displays of its logo on cars.
The turning point came when legislators questioned government officials during a parliamentary session, suggesting that adult platforms like SWAG might serve as hidden hubs for prostitution.
This led to a large-scale police investigation.
During the probe, the website was temporarily taken offline. But after a month of investigation — and following prosecutors’ recommendations to implement mechanisms to reduce potential risks — SWAG was allowed to resume operations, with no criminal charges filed against the team.
Sam recalled joking with prosecutors:
“If SWAG should be shut down, then LINE and Facebook should be shut down too — because most real illegal transactions happen on those platforms.”
He added that the government should actually be relieved that the industry’s leader in Taiwan was “someone relatively upright,” rather than criminal organizations.
Building One of the Most Regulated Adult Platforms in the World
Today, SWAG operates under some of the strictest controls in the global adult content industry.
Users must verify their identity through official ID or credit cards to confirm they are adults.
Following prosecutors’ guidance, SWAG also removed features that allowed direct offline interaction between users and creators, and actively partnered with the official iWIN internet content protection organization to strengthen child protection measures.
Sam noted that SWAG has since expanded far beyond Taiwan, attracting users across Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia — becoming what some call an unconventional “Taiwanese success story.”
But how did a highly educated overseas graduate with experience in both startups and major corporations end up building such a platform?
From Rebellion to Transformation
Growing up in Keelung, Sam’s education spanned multiple countries.
At eight years old, he and his brother were sent to Singapore as young international students.
Living in a homestay environment with strict rules sparked a rebellious phase.
Frequent fights and disciplinary issues eventually led to his expulsion from several schools.
By around 15, he returned to Taiwan after being rejected by too many institutions.
Instead of immediately returning to school, his mother sent him to work at construction sites to experience real-world labor — hauling materials and doing physically demanding tasks.
Exhausted by the work, Sam faced a choice from his mother:
Either study seriously — or continue down a rough path with no future.
She warned that if he failed to make something of himself, she would cut ties.
This “shock education” forced Sam to reflect deeply and ignited his desire to take control of his own life — planting the seed for entrepreneurship.
Studying in the UK and Returning as an IT Engineer
Later sent to boarding school in the UK, Sam initially performed well due to the advanced math education he had received in Asia. But once classes began, he struggled to keep up, failed exams, and was even demoted to a lower academic level.
Fortunately, his homeroom teacher — who also coached his basketball team — devoted time to tutoring him, helping him climb from the bottom of the class to strong academic performance.
Eventually, Sam transferred to a high school in London, where he once again became distracted and skipped classes frequently.
Despite this, his natural ability helped him gain admission to the Computer Science program at the University of Manchester.
In his first year of university, Sam experienced a turning point. Realizing how hard his family had worked to support his overseas education, he transformed into a top student — even achieving the highest grades in his department that year.
Upon graduation, the global financial crisis hit. Sam returned to Taiwan, completed military service, and began working as an IT engineer building websites for a small company before later joining IBM.
Still driven by entrepreneurial dreams, he tried multiple side projects — from sourcing goods in Shenzhen to acting as an agent for British shoe brands — but none succeeded.
From Accidental Experiment to the Chinese-Speaking World’s Leading Adult Platform
After working as an engineer across several startups, Sam was recruited by Taiwan’s largest live-streaming company 17LIVE, where he joined multiple app development projects — one of which later became SWAG.
Originally, SWAG was designed as a fan-exclusive content platform for influencers, featuring lifestyle sharing and personal updates. However, a competition event unexpectedly shifted the direction of content, as creators began posting increasingly bold material to attract support.
Recognizing the growing demand, SWAG introduced age restrictions and gradually evolved into an adult content platform.
When regulatory constraints arose ahead of 17LIVE’s U.S. listing, SWAG was spun off as an independent company, with Sam taking over the product he had helped build.
By capturing a unique niche in the local market, SWAG rapidly grew into a high-revenue startup with over 70 employees within six years.
Redefining the Adult Industry with Responsibility and Respect
Reflecting on his journey, Sam shared that adult entertainment has long been misunderstood and stigmatized.
“Adult culture has existed alongside human civilization since the beginning,” he said. “In many Western countries and Japan, it has developed into mature industries. Performers are professionals who deserve dignity and respect.”
Sam hopes SWAG can lead efforts to de-stigmatize the adult industry in Taiwan, advocating for clearer regulations, worker protections, and open social dialogue.
Looking ahead, he plans to collaborate with industry partners to form formal associations that can engage with government authorities and the public, while also promoting education around gender and sexuality through academic partnerships.
Source：Crossing https://crossing.cw.com.tw/article/15996