Biography of Yul Kwon

But it’s hard to find much bad to say about Yul Kwon, who took home the million on Survivor: Cook Islands. Yul admitted he had manipulated and deceived people, but smartly pointed out that this is how the game has played, and he’d managed to do his manipulation while staying as loyal and honest as possible.
 
On his way to winning reality show Survivor, Yul Kwon solved puzzles, earned the nickname “The Godfather” for his skillful maneuvering, and helped smash stereotypes about Asian American men in the media. In the first finale, Kwon won the CBS show’s 13th season, which began by pitting African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and whites against one another. In the end, Kwon made deals and alliances with people from different backgrounds for his victory.
 
When Kwon learned about the racial component of the show the night before it was to begin, he said, he almost backed out because he did not want to be part of anything that cemented stereotypes. “When I was growing up, I did not see people like me as positive role models. I always saw Asian computer geeks who couldn’t get a date, or a kung fu guy who couldn’t speak English,” Kwon stated. “I wanted America to see Asian Americans as they truly are. The show, is an amazing platform to raise the issue about racial identity, segregation, different issues that need to be addressed.”
 
Born in Queens, New York to parents who emigrated from South Korea, Yul and his family moved Concord, California when he was six years old. Kwon was his high school valedictorian, and went on to attend Stanford University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in symbolic systems (theoretical computer science). While at Stanford, he received the James Lyons Award for Service, attended officer candidates school for the U.S. Marine Corps and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Kwon went on to receive his Juris Doctor Degree from Yale Law School, where he served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Journal.

Kwon has enjoyed a diverse career straddling both the private and public sectors in law, business and technology. He practiced a mix of litigation, appellate, transactional and regulatory work at several law firms. He also served as a judicial clerk to a federal judge on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. Additionally, he worked as a legislative aide to Senator Joseph Lieberman in Washington, D.C., where he helped draft sections of the Homeland Security Bill and other technology-related legislation. Several years ago, Kwon decided to switch careers and become a management consultant at McKinsey. From there, he joined Google's business strategy group and most recently went back into consulting.

Kwon's favorite hobbies include politics, boxing, ultimate fighting and volunteering with kids. He describes himself as idealistic, compassionate and ambitious. He became passionate about creating awareness for more minority bone marrow donors in the U.S. after launching a major search to find a match for his best friend who was diagnosed with leukemia, but ultimately succumbed to the disease.

Kwon is a member of the Washington, D.C. and California State Bar Associations. He is also a member of the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity.