Kuok started off his sweet story in 1949 when setting up Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd to manage rice and sugar trading together with his brothers. His business soon escalated and has since been the creation of one of Asia's largest business empires. His staggering wealth extends from fast-growing plantation and timber companies (PPB Oil Palms), real estate properties (Kerry Properties), flourishing shipping and air transport services (Transmile and Malaysian Bulk Carriers), hotel business (Shangri-La Asia), together with his other sugar, trading, and media companies. He has been residing in Hong Kong since the 70s till today.
(Current Wealth: 31.504 billion)
2. Ananda Krishnan:
If you can't live without your daily dose of MTVs and live football matches, this is the person you should thank for. Because as low key as he is successful, Ananda Krishnan is the name behind Astro All-Asia Networks plc, Measat Global Bhd (satellite systems) and also Maxis Communications Bhd. The Petronas Twin Towers we see today were also one of his projects when he teamed with Petroliam Nasional Bhd to develop our pride and glory of Malaysia.
(Current Wealth: 19.044 billion)
3. Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay:
Son of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, need I introduce more? Since rising to be the successor of his father in 2004, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay brought new visions to Genting Group as he seeks to diversify the business into interesting new areas. Just last year, he has successfully snagged the winning bid of a S$5.2bil casino/integrated resort in Singapore's Sentosa Island. Besides the gaming sector, Genting Group is also involved in oil & gas and power business.
(Current Wealth: 13.905 billion)
4. Tan Sri Datuk Lee Shin Chen:
Lee, known for being a tough businessman and a boss, is the executive chairman of IOI Corp Bhd. Having invariable interest in oil palm, he is recognised as the palm oil tycoon, and is setting far sights to make IOI Corp the world's largest oleochemical producer via Pan Century Group. Lee also has thriving Puchong township to offer, under the name of IOI Properties, which is easily one of Malaysia's top developers.
(Current Wealth: 9.199 billion)
5. Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan:
Being the second generation of Kweks, he is currently the head of Hong Leong Group. This ambitious entrepreneur has stretched his business into sectors from banking to construction/property and now even hotels and gaming. One of Quek's strengths lies in is his ability to purchase low, subsequently shaping the particular company before selling it off for a grand profit. Quek is also gradually positioning himself as the world's biggest high rollers and a top player in British gaming scenes.
(Current Wealth: 7.419 billion)
6. Tan Sri Datuk Teh Hong Piow:
His journey of success begun only as a bank officer at Singapore's Overseas-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd in 1950. Come the mid-1960s, he established Public Bank and that's when everything fell into place. As one of the leading financial institutions in Malaysia, Public Bank appeals to consumers as a safe bet for investment with confident returns.
(Current Wealth: 7.150 billion)
7. Tan Sri Francis Yeoh:
When one hears about YTL Corp Bhd, they are likely to mentally associate it with Bukit Bintang. About 6 years ago, YTL Group took over JW Marriot Hotel, Starhill & Lot 10, subsequently introduced Bintang Walk. Little does one know that YTL empire grew from construction business way back in 1955. Francis Yeoh, eldest son of Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay stepped into his father's shoes at a tender age of 24 in 1978 to manage YTL Corp, and is now a prominent person behind this group. The newest proposed plan on site is to build a US$3billion bullet train project linking KL to Singapore.
(Current Wealth: 6.141 billion)
8. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary:
This man here prefers to stay in the background, shying away from public eyes. With the title of "reclusive tycoon", he has only partially surfaced but has equity in at least 13 publicly traded company. His flagship company being MMC Corp Bhd, is an investment holding company dealing with transport & logistics, energy & utilities and engineering & construction.
(Current Wealth: 4.180 billion)
9. Tan Sri Datuk Azman Hashim:
Credits go to him for his effort in making finance industry's first local bank (AmBank) to tie up with a foreign partner ANZ Banking Group. As the Executive Chairman of AmCorp Group Bhd, Tan Sri Datuk Azman Hashim intends to bring AmBank Group (subsidiary of AmCorp) to greater heights following the sale to ANZ.
(Current Wealth: 2.440 billion)
10. Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King:
Tiong is the classic example of rags to riches story where hard work and preseverance remained as drivers to wealth. Besides owning publicly traded timber and plantation companies, he is also the media mogul with Sin Chew Media, Nanyang Press and Ming Pao Enterprise under his belt. And if that wasn't enough, he has newspapers circulating in other regions including Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, and newspapers/magazines in Hong Kong, Canada and New York through Ming Pao. That's a long way to go for one who spent most of his teenage years tapping rubber.
(Current Wealth: 2.285 billion)
