Samsung finds "Superman" for Tizen?

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The Wall Street Journal reports Samsung has a "Superman" to help it push the nascent Tizen platform-- Li Ka-shing, owner of the Hutschison Whampoa business empire and reportedly the richest man in Asia.

Li Ka-shingLi has fingers in multiple pies, including telecommunications, ports and hotels. He also has an interest in high-profile tech, with investments in Facebook, Spotify, Waze and Summly.

“I enjoy keeping up with latest technology trends," Li tells the Chinese Nanfang Media Group. "I can also tell you that in addition to  (Apple’s) iOS and Android,  a new mobile operating system will come to the market soon.”

Of course, such a statement brings about the question of which nascent mobile OS it is referring to. The answer, according to the WSJ, is fairly clear--  Li has a "good relationship" with Samsung. And Tizen has interests in pushing Tizen as the "third" mobile platform, following Android and iOS.

The "deepening" of such a partnership can be very significant. Li is the owner of the 3 Group, a name familiar in European countries including the UK, Italy, Sweden, Ireland and Austria. It carries Samsung (and Apple!) smartphones all over the world, meaning it has all the power to give Tizen a much required push.

Go Asia's Richest Mann Sees Rise of New OS (WSJ.com)