Richard Wong, later changed to Richard Ong, was born to a paper son who later became naturalized through the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. His mother was able to come to America through the War Brides Act of 1945. His family eventually settled in a suburb in East Rockaway New York, where they worked and lived in and behind a laundromat. Richard became a Catholic during his childhood years. He later went on to attend Princeton, describing his suburban upbringing as an experience that has helped him adjust to the predominantly white old-school / old-boys culture. However the suburban experience also seemed to alienate him from the members of the Third World Center, a place where minorities on campus would gather to socialize. While Richard originally majored in the Sciences at Princeton, he soon realize that there was not much room for growth without a PHD in the biotech industry. After briefly exploring a career in management within biotech, he eventually switched to a career in the financial sector once he attended Columbia Business School. He later became a partner with McCowan Associates and joined his current firm, Eagle Capital afterwards.