Xuedong (Tony) Tian
About Xuedong (Tony) Tian
Co‑Chief Executive Officer of Snail, Inc. since April 15, 2024, following the resignation of the prior CEO . Prior roles include Managing Director & Head of Capital Markets at US Tiger Securities (Oct 2020–Apr 2024), Founder/President of Weitian Group LLC (May 2012–Oct 2020), sell‑side equity analyst at Oppenheimer, Ladenburg Thalmann, Ticonderoga, and Pacific Crest (Apr 2008–May 2012), and Finance Manager at Virgin Mobile USA and AT&T (Jan 2001–Mar 2008) . External positions: Managing Director & Head of Asia at Kingswood Investments (since Apr 2024), CFO/Director of Aimfinity Investment Corp. I (since Mar 2023), CEO/Director of Feutune Light Acquisition Corp. (since 2022), and prior CFO/Director of Inkstone Feibo Acquisition Corp. (Apr 2022–Jan 2024) . Education and credentials: MBA (NYU), MA Economics (UConn), MS/BS (China Agricultural University); CFA charterholder; Series 7, 24, 63, 79 licenses .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Tiger Securities, Inc. | Managing Director & Head of Capital Markets | Oct 2020 – Apr 2024 | — |
| Weitian Group LLC | Founder & President | May 2012 – Oct 2020 | — |
| Oppenheimer, Ladenburg Thalmann, Ticonderoga, Pacific Crest | Sell‑side Equity Analyst | Apr 2008 – May 2012 | — |
| Virgin Mobile USA; AT&T | Finance Manager | Jan 2001 – Mar 2008 | — |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingswood Investments LLC | Managing Director & Head of Asia | Since Apr 2024 | — |
| Aimfinity Investment Corp. I (Nasdaq) | CFO & Director | Since Mar 2023 | — |
| Feutune Light Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq) | CEO & Director | Since 2022 | — |
| Inkstone Feibo Acquisition Corporation (SPAC) | CFO & Director | Apr 2022 – Jan 2024 | — |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2024 |
|---|---|
| Base Salary Earned ($) | 201,923 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | 3,598 (401(k) match $3,173; phone allowance $425) |
| Total ($) | 205,521 |
- Offer letter base salary: $300,000; at‑will employment; eligible for annual bonuses (cash and restricted shares) subject to objective/subjective criteria set by the Chairman and approved by the Board/Comp Committee .
Performance Compensation
- Eligible for annual performance bonuses payable in cash and restricted shares per offer letter; specific targets/weightings not disclosed .
- Company’s IPO Founder Grants PSUs (awarded to legacy NEOs at IPO) vest based on Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) thresholds: 10% (Nov 9, 2023; 15% AAGR), 15% (Nov 9, 2024; 30%), 20% (Nov 9, 2025; 45%), 25% (Nov 9, 2026; 60%), 30% (Nov 9, 2027; 75%); full catch‑up if 75% achieved within five years; subject to continuous service .
Tian did not appear in the outstanding PSU awards table as of Dec 31, 2024 (table listed Tsai, Chow, Kang), indicating no company‑reported PSUs/RSUs outstanding for him at year‑end 2024 .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| As-of Date | Class A Shares | Class B Shares | Percent of Total Voting Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 2024 | — (not listed among holders) | — | — |
| Apr 22, 2025 | — (not listed among holders) | — | — |
- Controlled company: Hai Shi and Ying Zhou collectively control >50% voting power via Class B shares; Snail qualifies for Nasdaq “controlled company” exemptions (e.g., compensation committee independence not required) .
- Equity plan capacity: 1,142,284 RSUs outstanding; 4,508,239 shares available for future issuance under 2022 Plan as of Dec 31, 2024 .
- Pledging/hedging disclosures and stock ownership guidelines for executives not disclosed in cited sections; director indemnification in place .
Employment Terms
- Status: At‑will Co‑CEO; base salary $300,000; eligible for annual cash bonus tied to Company objective criteria and equity bonus in restricted Class A shares tied to objective and subjective criteria set by Chairman and approved by Board/Comp Committee .
- Non‑compete/non‑solicit: Company discloses such provisions for Tsai and Chow; Tian’s offer letter does not disclose specific restrictive covenants in the cited sections .
- Change‑in‑control: 2022 Plan permits acceleration, assumption/substitution, performance determination, or cancellation with payment at the Compensation Committee’s discretion .
- Indemnification/D&O insurance: Executed for directors and officers .
Related Party Transactions
- The Company entered an investor relations consulting agreement with Weitian Group LLC (founded/presided by Tian) around Feb 1, 2024: initial 3‑month term; auto‑renews for 12 months; terminable by either party with 30 days’ notice; fee $6,000/month .
Compensation Structure Analysis
- FY 2024 pay mix for Tian was predominantly fixed salary (base $201,923 representing ~98% of total; limited other compensation), with no stock awards reported in FY 2024, reflecting mid‑year appointment and offer‑letter eligibility for future bonuses rather than historical equity grants .
- Company performance‑linked PSUs exist for legacy NEOs with aggressive AAGR thresholds; Tian had no outstanding PSUs reported as of Dec 31, 2024 .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: No reported beneficial ownership and no outstanding equity awards for Tian at year‑end 2024 suggests limited near‑term insider selling pressure from Tian but also modest “skin‑in‑the‑game”; watch for future RSU grants under his offer letter and 2022 Plan capacity (4.51M shares available) .
- Governance: Snail is a controlled company, which reduces requirements for independent compensation oversight; increases importance of Board‑approved objective criteria for Tian’s bonuses .
- Incentive design: Offer letter provides both cash and equity bonuses; lack of disclosed targets/weights limits visibility into pay‑for‑performance alignment; legacy IPO PSUs use stringent multi‑year AAGR hurdles, but Tian is not a beneficiary per year‑end disclosures .
- Retention/Severance: At‑will status with no disclosed severance or change‑of‑control cash multiples; retention depends on future equity/cash bonuses and career optionality across external roles .
- Related‑party risk: Ongoing consulting arrangement with Weitian Group LLC (founded by Tian) introduces potential conflicts; terms and board oversight should be monitored for arm’s‑length compliance .