Brief 20 Richest People in Malaysia

1. Robert Kuok Hock Nien

Robert Kuok Hock Nien is a man who needs no introduction. From being the ‘Sugar King of Malaysia’ to the ‘Sugar King of Asia’, he is by any means the richest Malaysian with a wealth of RM45.7billion. The tycoon is known to have garnered his wealth primarily through businesses outside Malaysia which is the main reason why his wealth dipped slightly with the Eurozone and United States’ debt crisis in 2011. However, his top spot in the Malaysian richest list remain intact.

Robert Kuok is the Chairman of the Kuok and Kerry Groups respectively while he also chairs the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Chain. As a tycoon, he is incredibly low profile and shuns the limelight where he is rarely seen in events and in public. As his nickname implies, he was mainly involved in the plantations, particularly through his affiliation in Perlis Plantations Berhad which involved sugarcane planting and production and has since diversified to other businesses like animal feed, property and hospitality, trading as well as in finance.

Much of his revenue source today comes through Wilmar International Ltd which is the largest listed palm oil company in the world. He is ranked thirty-three in the world’s richest list and was born to a Chinese father who came to Malaya from Fujian in China. Together with his 2 brothers, they formed Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd which was involved in trading of agricultural products. It was through this where he eventually gathered his first breakthrough when he bought sugar cheaply from India at a time before there was a price hike. He would go on and expand his business in sugar refineries until he was producing 80% of the Malaysian sugar market. His company owns the internationally recognized Shangri-La Hotel while it also owns the Beijing World Trade Centre as well as 10 bottling companies for Coca-Cola in China.

2. T Ananda Krishnan 

Tatparanandam Ananda Krishnan or more fondly known as AK in short is of Sri Lankan Tamil origin. The Malaysian businessman and philanthropist is the sole proprietor of TAK Corporate Holdings Sdn Bhd as well as the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Usaha Tegas Group Holdings Berhad. AK is currently second richest person in Malaysia and has 3 children. Despite his wealth, AK is known to keep a low profile where he is mostly based in his mansion in Australia.

AK comes from Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur where he went to school at the historical Vivekananda Tamil School and then to Victoria Institution before heading out to the University of Melbourne to study political science under the Colombo Plan scholarship. He also holds an MBA from the prestigious Harvard University.

AK’s wealth amounts to RM42.99billion with his stakes in Usaha Tegas which wholds 75% share in Maxis Communications Berhad, the leading telecommunications company in Malaysia. He recently sold off his stakes in the power generation sector while he also own businesses in other areas like property development, entertainment and leisure as well as in investments.

Apart from these businesses, AK is known for being the owner of Astro All Asia Networks, Malaysia’s leading satellite television service provider. Astro is currently the only operator that brings more than 100 channels to millions of homes around Malaysia while it also airs its services in other neighbouring countries as well. He is known to have started out his career when he helped Sir Bob Geldof plan the Live Aid charity concert in the 1980s, which is one of the most prominent charity events of all time. His other businesses include his 42.45% stake in Bumi Armada which is essentially his oil and gas vessel operator company as well as a 20% share in Johnston Press Holdings Plc.

3. TS Teh Hong Piow

One of Malaysia’s most distinguished and well respected corporate leaders is Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Teh Hong Piow. His name is known by almost every Malaysian while being the third richest man in Malaysia. Tan Sri Teh’s story is one of the most talked about for having started Public Bank, one of the most stable banks not only in Malaysia but also in the surrounding region. Tan Cri Teh is the Chairman of Public Bank Berhad where he has been married to Puan Sri Tay Sock Noy back in 1956. Together, they have 3 daughters and 1 son.

Tan Sri Teh was born in Singapore where he started his career in the banking sector at the Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation. Sheer hard work and determination saw him rising through the ranks and before long, he was a manager of Malayan Banking Berhad. He became one of the youngest to hold the General Manager position at the age of 34 and then moved on to set up his own venture when he established Public Bank in 1966.

From there, the bank would grow under Tan Sri Teh’s leadership and become a major force in the banking industry of Malaysia. Today, Public Bank is one of the leading banks in the country having undergone and survived several phases of economic crisis and downturn throughout the years. It is known for its stability and self-sustainability as with many banks in Malaysia needing to obtain government assistance and bailouts like Bank Bumiputera Malaysia, Public Bank has been resilient through testing times and come out on top. Public Bank recently commemorated its 45th Anniversary with much fanfare. As an industry leader, Tan Sri Teh’s awards are countless and he sits on the chair of Public Bank’s subsidiaries while having garnered international recognition in several markets and regions.

4. Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan

Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan has a wealth of RM8 billion making him the sixth richest Malaysian in the Top 40 richest in 2011. Due to the weaker valuation of his shares, the figure would have been at least RM2bilion more. Tan Sri Quek is the Executive Chairman of the Hong Leong Group which is one of the prominent banking groups in Malaysia. The billionaire runs the company that governs 2 subsidiaries under its wings namely Tasek Corp Bhd and Hong Leong Bank Bhd.

Apart from that he is also the Executive Chairman of Guoco Group and Lam Soon (HK) Ltd which have not been performing as well as previous years. His wealth was accumulated through the companies while a big portion was garnered through his RM11billion sale of Dao Heng Bank of Hong Kong to DBS Bank Singapore in 2001 which was the highest price ever paid to acquire an Asian bank. He also sold off his 40% share for RM7.51billion in OYL Industries 5 years later while in 2008, he disposed off his shares in Fiberboard (M) Bhd for RM213.23 million.

As a businessman, Tan Sri Quek is known for his foresight where he would buy at a low price and then selling them for a profit. The most recent business he bought through Hong Leong was for EON Capital in a deal worth RM5.06billion. The acquisition, which took 15 months and was the longest takeover process in the history of Malaysia saw Hong Leong forming the fourth largest banking group in the country. Apart from that, Tan Sri Quek is also involved in other sectors that include oil rigs, biotechnology, gaming and property development. He is also known to be a keen gambler in the elite casinos of London while GuocoLeisure recently took over the controlling stake in Rank Group which owns 47 of the 187 casino licenses in England.

5. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary

The fifth richest Malaysian in the Top 40 list is Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary whose wealth is at RM9.53 billion. Tan Sri Syed is known as the Malaysian ‘Rice King’ where he is the founder of the Albukhary Foundation. He is the richest bumiputera Malaysian today where he is involved in various businesses that include plantations, defense and armory, power generation, engineering, transportation and logistics and many others.

Despite his wealth and stature, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar is known for being a humble person as well as having a low-profile. This was attributed mainly through his upbringing through a middle-class Malay family. He never went to university and finished schooling after Form Five and gained his entrepreneurial experience throughout his working life.

He started working when he was studying where he helped in the planting of vegetables and selling them in the market while he learnt book keeping through assisting his father. He then ventured into breeding cow business by helping his father but due to the foot and mouth disease, the business failed. He then started over and began selling meats before moving on to wholesale. He started dealing in rice in Kedah and when he won the rice trading license from the Lembaga Padi Negara, his move to success began taking shape.

From there, Tan Sri Syed would continue to expand his business into a major empire and today, he has a controlling stake in MMC Corp which owns Gas Malaysia, DRB-Hicom which controls Pos Malaysia Bhd and national carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd and many other companies. Apart from that, he also co-owns SKS Ventures which is involved with building and construction of the Tanjung Bin 2100MW coal-fired power station. As a prominent figure in Malaysia, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar has been actively involved with charity works that include projects like setting up an AIDS hospital in Uganda and many other humanitarian projects around the world.

6. TS Lee Shin Cheng

Sitting on the fourth spot of the Malaysian Top 40 richest people is Tan Sri Dato’ Lee Shin Cheng. His name is synonymous with the plantations and property development industry as he is the Executive Chairman of IOI Corporation Berhad, one of the largest conglomerate in Malaysia and the region. With wealth amounting to RM11.36 billion, Tan Sri Lee has built IOI Corp into becoming one of the leading companies in the country with property and real estate projects in major areas of Klang Valley and around the country.

Its main business is still very much in the plantation industries while its property development projects have become award winning efforts under Tan Sri Lee’s stewardship. IOI Corp has businesses all over the world where it operates a refinery in the Netherlands as well as in the ASEAN region. Apart from that, Tan Sri Lee has built his empire in various other areas that encompasses metallic sterates and fats, specialty oils and many more.

As an entrepreneur, Tan Sri Lee is known for his rags to riches story where he was first turned down by Dunlop Estate for not being able to speak fluent English. He attributes his success to this experience where he did not give up and some 20 years later, he bought over the entire Dunlop Estate. He is known to be a very hands-on manager in the company where he would visit the oil palm industries personally and had once referred to the oil palm trees as his girlfriends. Today, he is no longer involved in the running of IOI Corp where it is being run by his 2 sons and 4 daughters, all of whom are lawyers. He has been well recognized for his efforts and achievements where he was given the FIABCI Malaysia Property Man of the Year in 2001 while he was also awarded the Honorary Doctorate Degree in Agriculture by University Putra Malaysia.

7. Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay

Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay is perhaps the media’s poster boy in recent years. This is because he is the second son of casino magnate the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong and his wife Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua who is currently the richest woman in Malaysia. Tan Sri Lim is currently the Chairman and Chief Executive of Genting Berhad, which is the holding company of Genting Group known for its gaming and entertainment businesses. Apart from that, Genting Group is also involved in various other businesses that include oil palm, hospitality, oil and gas, property development and many others.

Tan Sri Lim is the co-founder of Genting Hong Kong Limited which was previously operating under the company Star Cruises Limited. It operates and manages a combined fleet of 18 ships that visits more than 200 destinations around the world with Norwegian Cruise Line which today is the third largest cruise operator in the world. Tan Sri Lim has a Bachelors in Civil Engineering through the University of London while he also attended the Advanced Management Programme of Harvard Business School in the United States.

His rise to prominence started when he was appointed to the board of Genting Berhad where he worked together with his late father and from being a single entity then it has grown to 5 listed entities in Bursa Malaysia. Apart from that, Genting is also listed in the Singapore and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges respectively. After his late father retired in 2003, he took over as Chairman and Chief Executive of the group and has since been working relentlessly to expand the group into becoming one of the major entertainment and tourism companies in the world. Under Tan Sri Lim, Genting has established major brands globally while it also runs the largest casino in the US at the Foxwoods Resort Casino.

8. Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua

Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua is the richest woman in Malaysia. She is the matriarch of Genting Group and is ranked eighth in the Malaysian Top 40 richest people. Puan Sri Lee is the widow of the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, the founder of Genting Group. Her wealth is at RM6.59billion which is lower than previous years due to the lower valuation of the Genting Bhd as well as the recent drop of share price of its subsidiary in Hong Kong.

Puan Sri Lee and her wealth rose to prominence since the death of her husband in 2007. Prior to that, she has kept herself out of the limelight most of the time. When Tan Sri Lim passed away, he left his fortune to his wife and family members and the company has since been run by his second son, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay.

Where this is concerned, Puan Sri Lee does not run Genting Group directly and her wealth is calculated through her husband who made his millions mainly through the gaming and entertainment sector. Despite that Tan Sri Lim has been known to be a very hardworking man and visionary and his wife has been a strong tower of strength, supporting him throughout the years. Today, the Genting Group owns many gaming facilities around the world. Apart from the Genting Highlands casino and entertainment city, it also owns and manages Resorts World Ltd which operates the Singapore Resorts casino as well as many others in Europe.

Being the beneficiary to such wealth would surely draw much publicity to her but Puan Sri Lee is still known as a humble and soft-spoken lady where she tries to stay away from the limelight as much as she can. While she has not interfered with running Genting when it was under her late husband, she still leave the operations to her son today, whom she believes knows best.

9. TS Tiong Hiew King

Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King is the Executive Chairman of the Rimbunan Hijau Group. He is the founder of the company which is known as one of the largest timber companies around. Rimbunan Hijau has been operating in the timber industry since it was formed in 1975 and today, it is the largest timber company in Papua New Guinea with plans to expand further into Europe and to Russia.

Tan Sri Tiong’s wealth is at RM6.41billion where he is the ninth richest Malaysian in the top 40 list. Currently based in Sibu in Sarawak, his wealth grew by leaps and bounds in the past year after the 255% valuation of his shares in Rimbunan Hijau. Like many tycoons, Tan Sri Tiong rose to prominence through his humble beginnings when he was born to a poor family in Sibu. He tapped rubber in his early years before working for a relative who owned a timber company.

When he formed Rimbunan Hijau, it was involved with forestry contracting operations and today, it is one of the largest money-making groups in the region. Rimbunan Hijau’s main revenue is still in the timber industries but it has since ventured into other sectors. This includes media and communications where it has a controlling stake in Chinese dailies Guang Ming Daily and Sin Chew Jit Poh while it also owns the National Daily in Papau New Guinea.

Today, Rimbunan Hijau’s reach have expanded to 6 continents where the company is also involved with businesses like Information Technology, aquaculture, agriculture and property development. It is currently the largest manufacturer and exporter of plywood products in Malaysia and has 3 public listed companies under its umbrella. They are Jaya Tiasa, Sin Chew Media Corporation, Subur Tiasa while it also owns the Ming Pao Group in Hong Kong. Apart from his state conferred titles, Tan Sri Tiong was also conferred the title ‘Sir’ by Queen Elizabeth II.

10. Ong Beng Seng

Pemilikan aset sebanyak RM4.016 bilion dan memiliki syarikat Hotel Properties Ltd.

A secretive yet flamboyant tycoon is what best characterizes Ong Beng Seng, the Malaysian-Chinese hotelier who makes money from a string of hotels he owns in Asia and Europe as well as several franchises of Hard Rock Cafés in Asia.

Ong Beng Seng is a Malaysian citizen who is now living in Singapore. He was born into a wealthy family in Malaysia sometime in 1946. His family moved to Singapore when he was only 4 years old.

By the early 1970s Ong had founded a business selling shipping insurance, earning his first fortune. Ong married Christina Ong, giving him a powerful father-in-law, Peter Fu Yun Siak who owns Kuo International which started off trading in timber and wax before moving into oil.

Ong Beng Seng joined the Kuo International in 1975. In the early 1980s, he recognized the potential for entering the property market and formed Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) (http://www.hotelprop.com/). The company’s first acquisition is the Hilton Hotel in Singapore. This was followed by other hotels such as the Four Season’s Hotel in Singapore in 1984, Four Seasons Hotel, The Halkin Hotel and the Metropolitan in London in 1990.

It was also during the 1990s that HPL launched its restaurant operations such as the trendy Nobu which opened in Metropolitan Hotel. Ong also invested in Planet Hollywood and won the franchise for the Asian region of the Hard Rock Café chain. Ong owns the Hard Rock Café in Beijing, Hong Kong, Bali, Jakarta, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Singapore.

In 1995, HPL bought Chevron Hotel complex in Gold Coast, Australia.

In the late 1990s, HPL began buying other properties including Concorde Hotels and Resorts in Malaysia. In 2001, Concorde Hotels and Resorts changed its name to HPL Hotels and Resorts. Among its properties are three HPL Hotels in Malaysia, an HPL hotel in Australia, the Hard Rock Hotel Franchise in Bali, Indonesia and Thailand, as well as hotels in Maldives and Cameron Highlands.

HPL also has various residential properties in Singapore with their four major condominium developments in Nassim Jade, Seasons Park, Robertson Blue and Cuscaden Residence.

Aside from hotels, Ong has majority shares of Singaporean steel maker, NatSteel. NatSteel makes steel in China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Equally popular is Ong’s wife, Christina who owns the franchises of designer brands such as Donna Karan’s DKNY, Miu Miu, Calvin Klein, Guess, and Bulgari, Giorgio Armani among others. The Ongs’ stores are scattered around the globe including Sydney, London, Jakarta, and Singapore.

Most recently, Ong was in the spotlight again when Ferrari picked Ital Auto – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Komoco Motors, owned by Ong, as the new importer of Ferrari in Singapore.

It was Ong who brought to Singapore the first ever Formula One racing held in the dark last year.

11. Tan Sri Azman Hashim 

Pemilikan aset berjumlah RM3.84 bilion (Arab-Malaysian Corp)

Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim is the Chairman of Ambank (Arab-Malaysian) Corporation Berhad. One of the largest banking institutions in Malaysia. He is married to YM Tunku Arishah Tunku Maamor where they have 2 sons and 3 daughters. Tan Sri Azman is the eleventh richest man in Malaysia with a wealth of RM3.47billion. Born in 1939, Tan Sri Azman grew up in humble beginnings where his father is known to be a strict disciplinarian.

Tan Sri Azman graduated from Australia under the Colombo Plan Scholarship when he was offered the Accountancy course. That proved to be the main influence and outcome of his life as he initially wanted to chart out his career in medicine. He started off working in Australia under Messrs O.L. Haines & Co (Chartered Accountants) before returning to Malaysia where he worked in Bank Negara Malaysia before setting up his own practice. After that, he joined Maybank where he was the Executive Director from 1971 to 1980. Later on, he would become the Executive Chairman of Kwong Yik Bank Berhad before being appointed as the Chairman of the AmBank Group.

AmBank has several subsidiaries like AmBank Properties Berhad of which Tan Sri Azman is also the chairman. As a corporate leader, Tan Sri Azman sits on the boards of various groups and organizations where he is the Chairman of the likes of National Productivity Corproation, Non-Aligned Movement’s Business Council as well as the Malaysian Investment Banking Association. Apart from that, he is the Treasurer in the Malaysia-US Private Sector Consultative Group and one of the trustees in Better Malaysia Foundation, the ECM Libra Foundation, AmGroup Foundation and Malaysian Liver Foundation. He is a leader who is given high regards in the industry where he has won various titles and awards. Apart from the state awarded titles, Tan Sri Azman has been conferred ‘ASEAN businessman of the Year’, ‘Manager of The Year’ and many others.

12. Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay 

Pemilikan aset berjumlah RM3.467 bilion (YTL Group)

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Yeoh Tiong Lay is the chairman of YTL Corporation, the leading property developer in Malaysia. He is the eighteenth richest Malaysian in the top 40 list and the 421st richest person in the world. Tan Sri Yeoh has 7 children and is known to be one of the most prominent philanthropist as well as a business tycoon.

The YTL Group of companies is renowned both in Malaysia and abroad for being one of the major players in the corporate market where its businesses are mainly in within Malaysia but it also owns businesses in other parts of Asia, Australia as well as in the United Kingdom through its recently acquired Wessex Water. Where Tan Sri Yeoh is concerned, he has laid the foundation to establish the company and today the YTL group is run purely by his 5 sons led by the very capable Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, his eldest son.

Tan Sri Yeoh comes from a humble family where he came from Klang and today, he has wealth of RM1.71billion making him the eighteenth richest Malaysian tycoon. His efforts in the industries he ventures in have earned him the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Emperor of Japan while he is also one of the Pro-Chancellors of Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Kota Kinabalu. It is in his visionary ways which have propelled YTL Group into becoming a major player in hospitality, property development and many others after having appointed his eldest son Francis to the helm of the company at a tender age of 24 who then managed to steer the company into what it is today. In fact, Francis has been so successful in the management of the company that all 5 brothers and Tan Sri Yeoh are in the top 40 richest Malaysians list.

13. Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir 

Pemilikan aset berjumlah RM2.669 bilion (SapuraKencana Petroleum)

Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir is one of the most distinguished tycoons in Malaysia most probably due to his affiliation with the former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The second son of the longest serving prime minister, Datuk Mokhzani is a businessman and is widely regarded as the top banker in Malaysia. Together with his brother, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, Datuk Mokhzani is actively involved in the corporate world where he is Group Chief Executive Officer of Kencana Petroleum Berhad.

Datuk Mokhzani currently sits on the thirteenth spot of the Top 40 richest Malaysians list and is no longer as active in politics as he is in the corporate world. With a wealth of RM1.94billion, Datuk Mokhzani leads one of the top oil and gas companies in Malaysia where he started his career with Shell in Sarawak as a wellsite operations engineer. He would then continue on as the Group Managing Director of Tongkah Holdings Berhad before becoming the chairman and group CEO of Pantai Holdings Bhd.

Datuk Mokhzani is known to be a lover of speed where he is the Chairman of the Sepang International Circuit which hosts the annual Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix. Unlike his brother who is always in the limelight, Datuk Mokhzani is more low profile and is known as a quiet person. In Kencana Petroleum, he has steered the company into becoming a major player in the oil and gas sector. It offers the right blend of job for him as he is well qualified and experienced in this sector. Having served his time in the oil and gas industry previously, he is academically qualified where he holds a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma in the United States. The recent share-swap deal with Sapura saw Datuk Mokhzani holding 15.93% direct share in the company.

14. Tan Sri Vincent Tan 

Pemilikan aset berjumlah RM2.256 bilion (Berjaya Group)

Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun is a man who needs no introduction. He is the twelfth richest man in Malaysia in the Top 40 list and is known as one of the most prominent tycoons not only in Malaysia but also around the world. As the chairman of Berjaya Group, Tan Sri Vincent is known as an entrepreneur, businessman and a true visionary.

He has since retired from active participation in the corporate world where he has passed the CEO post to his son Datuk Robin Tan. His wealth is RM2.54billion where he owns one of the largest conglomerates in Malaysia. Tan Sri Vincent is the man who brought in McDonald’s to Malaysia where under the Berjaya Group, he also bought Sports Toto, a gaming company. His story is one which inspires Malaysians where he started off as a clerk and insurance agent before venturing out on his own.

The Berjaya Group is involved in almost every industry around that range from gaming, property development, media, education, finance, F & B and many others. Its most iconic landmark would be the Berjaya Times Square Shopping Mall located right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Apart from that, the group also operates various resorts around the country and abroad. Tan Sri Vincent recently acquired the Cardiff Football Club in United Kingdom while under the ICT arm, MOL Global Berhad owns social media giant Friendster. It also owns shares in Facebook which is slated for its IPO later in 2012. Other brands which are owned by Berjaya Group include 7-Eleven and Borders Malaysia which the group owns the trademark for Malaysia. While Borders filed for bankruptcy, the Malaysian branches are still operating strongly. On top of that, it also owns Starbucks Coffee, Kenny Rogers Roasters as well as the worldwide direct-selling company Cosway.

15. Tan Sri Tony Fernandes 

Tan Sri Tony Fernandes’s wealth is RM1.77 billion. He is the fifteenth richest person in Malaysia. He is one of the most recognized Malaysian not only in Malaysia but also in the world. This is because he is the Group Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia Berhad, a leading award winning budget carrier which serves routes around Malaysia, Asia and the world.

Apart from AirAsia, Tan Sri Tony is also the co-founder of Tune Group while he is also very much involved in sports where he is the Team Principal of the Caterham Formula 1 team as well as the Chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd in the United Kingdom which runs the Queen’s Park Rangers’ English Premier League football team.

Today, Tan Sri Tony is one of the most distinguished corporate leader in Malaysia much for his success in turning around a government-linked commercial airline which failed. He comes from Kuala Lumpur where he graduated from the prestigious London School of Economics before working with Virgin Atlantic and then rising to become the Financial Controller of Virgin Records in London.

He then returned to Malaysia where he became the Managing Director of Warner Music Malaysia, the youngest ever to do so before becoming the regional vice-president for the South-East Asia market. He then left the company to venture into the airlines business and when he took over AirAsia, it was heavily-indebted and making huge losses. With the tag-line ‘Now Everyone Can Fly’, he turned the company around and today, it is one of the most profitable airline company in the country. He would then continue to expand his empire into hotels using the same AirAsia concept under Tune Hotels before venturing into Formula 1 and football. Today, his F1 team races against Virgin Racing which is led by Sir Richard Branson, his former boss.

From this web http://www.1malaysia.com.my/roundtable/profile/tansritonyfernandes

Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes, Malaysian, aged 47, was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of the company in December 2001. He is also a member of the Employee Share Option Committee of the Board.

He was Financial Controller at Virgin Communications London (1987 – 1989), and moved on to be Senior Financial Analyst at Warner Music International London (1989 – 1992), Managing Director at Warner Music Malaysia (1992 – 1996), Regional Managing Director, ASEAN (1996 – 1999) and Vice President, ASEAN at Warner Music South East Asia (1999 – 2001).

He was admitted as an Associate Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in 1991, and became a Fellow Member in 1996.

In 1999, DYMM Sultan Selangor Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah bestowed on him the title ‘Setia Mahkota Selangor’ for his contributions to the Malaysian music industry. He was the recipient of the ‘Recording Industry Person of the Year 1997’ award from the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia.

With AirAsia, he received accolades from international press and industry observers such as ‘Airline Business Strategy Award 2005 and Low Cost Leadership’ from Airline Business and ‘Asia Pacific Aviation Executive’ from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) for the years 2004 and 2005.

In July 2005, he was conferred the Darjah Datuk Paduka Tuanku Ja’afar (DPTJ), which carries the title Dato’, by Negeri Sembilan’s Yang DiPertuan Besar Tuanku Ja’afar Tuanku Abdul for his services rendered for the betterment of the nation and community. In 2006 and 2007, he bagged ‘The Brand Laureate’ Brand Personality award for his exemplary performance, dedication and contribution towards the aviation industry in Malaysia.

In 2007, he was bestowed the Darjah Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (DSAP), which carries the title Dato’, by Pahang’s KDYMM Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Sir Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al- Muadzam Shah for his services rendered for the betterment of the nation and community. In 2008, he was again honoured by the Sultan with the Darjah Kebesaran Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang Yang Amat Di Mulia, which carries the title Dato’ Sri.

The ‘CAPA Legend Award 2009 (Aviation Hall of Fame)’ recognized his influential actions in directly shaping the way the aviation industry has evolved, and the ‘Airline CEO of the Year Award for 2009’ from Jane’s Transport Finance was for his success in leading and growing AirAsia into the world’s best low-cost airline and Asia’s largest.

He received an Honorary Doctorate of Business Innovation from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in March 2010 for his role in changing the face of aviation and for benefitting travellers and economies locally and in the region.

He was honoured with the title of ‘Officer of the Legion d’ Honneur’ by the government of France in April 2010 for outstanding contributions to the French aviation industry.It is the highest rank of honour that the government of France can award to a non-French citizen.

In May 2010, Fernandes was awarded the prestigious Nikkei Asia Prize in Tokyo for his contributions to the growth of Asia. The prize, given by leading Japanese newspaper publisher Nikkei Inc., recognizes Tony’s role in democratizing travel in Asia. He was also the proud recipient of the Masterclass Global CEO of the Year award at the 2nd Malaysia Business Leadership Award (MBLA) 2010 ceremony for his immense contributions to the country’s economy.

Fernandes also received the prestigious Forbes Asia Businessman of the Year 2010 award. He is the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian to receive the award.

In March 2011, he was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) honour by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The award was conferred on him for services in promoting commercial and educational links between the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

In May 2011, Fernandes was named as one of the world’s most creative people in business for 2011 by New York-based business magazine Fast Company. He is the only Malaysian and Southeast Asian on the list.

In June 2011, he was conferred the Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM), which carries the title Tan Sri, by Yang Di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. The Panglima Setia Mahkota is one of Malaysia’s highest honours and is only conferred by the Yang Di Pertuan Agong. The award is given to distinguished citizens who have given meritorious service to the country.

16. Datuk Lee Yeow Chor 

Pemilikan aset berjumlah RM1.742.47 bilion (IOI Group)

Datuk Lee Yeow Chor, together with his brother Lee Yeow Seng are 2 brothers who run IOI Corporation Berhad, one of the largest companies in Malaysia. Datuk Lee is the Group Executive Director of the group and with a wealth of RM1.78billion, he sits on the fourteenth spot of the Malaysian Top 40 richest people’s list.

Basically, Datuk Lee runs the company and its core businesses which are oil palm, oleochemical, specialty oils and fats as well as property development. Like his brother, Datuk Lee is a practicing lawyer where he studied and graduated with a degree in Law at the King’s College in London. He was then called to bar from Gray’s Inn before venturing to complete his Diploma in Finance and Accounting at the highly reputable London School of Economics.

He served in several position at the Attorney-General’s Chambers and in the Malaysian Judiciary where he was a Magistrate before joining IOI Group as General Manager. In his capacity as an industry leader, Datuk Lee is the Chairman of MPOC (Malaysian Palm Oil Council) as well as the Director of the Malaysian Green Technology Corporation. Together with younger brother, they took over the company through their father Tan Sri Datuk Lee Shin Cheng who is the Executive Chairman of the group. Tan Sri Datuk Lee is known to be a strong willed leader whose rags-to-riches story serves as an inspiration to many. He had sold ice-cream to support his family and determination drove him to much success later.

Today, Datuk Lee is the main driver in IOI Group since he took over the Managing director’s post in 2008 and one can see how much he and his brother have succeed in steering the company through its many expansion projects and such, particularly through the development of major townships like Puchong and its surrounding areas.

17. Lee Yeow Seng 

Pemilikan aset berjumlah RM1.699 bilion (IOI Group)

Lee Yeow Seng is perhaps the youngest tycoon in the Malaysia’s top 40 richest list. With wealth of RM1.75billion, he is the sixteenth richest Malaysian in 2011 through his association with the IOI Group. As the Group Executive Director of IOI Corporation Berhad, he is involved with the running of one of the largest and most successful companies in Malayia. He is generally involved with the corporate affairs and the general management of the company which have come a long way since it was incorporated in 1969 under the name Industrial Oxygen Incorporated Sdn Bhd.

Today IOI group is responsible to have brought award winning townships and property development projects like many areas of Puchong with more than 30,000 employees. The company is listed in Bursa Malaysia. Its core businesses are involved mainly in Plantation which is its flagship industry. In fact, some 65% of the profits of IOI Group are generated through its oil palm businesses.

Property development is its other major industry having built iconic landmarks like IOI Shopping Mall and such. Other areas of businesses that the group is involved in are in manufacturing of oleochemicals and specialty fats and many others.

As the Executive Director of the group, Lee works with his brother Datuk Lee Yeow Chor who is the Group Executive Director. Yeow Seng holds a bachelors in Law from the prestigious King’s College in London where he was called to the Bar of England and Wales by Inner Temple. He then joined a top international finances services group in London and Singapore before assuming his post in IOI Group as a Special Assistant to the Group Chief Executive Officer and Executive chairman in 2002. Apart from his leading role in the group, he also sits on the board of the company’s subsidiaries that include IOI Oleochemical Industries Sdn Bhd and Resort Villa Golf Course Bhd.

18. Tan Sri Lau Cho Kun 

Pemilikan aset berjumlah RM1.697 bilion (Hap Seng Consolidated)

The seventeenth richest person in Malaysia in the top 40 list is Tan Sri Lau Cho Kun who is a significant leader and a controlling shareholder in Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad. He holds 56% in Gek Poh Holdings Sdn Bhd which have a 53% stake in Hap Seng. On top of that, he also holds shares in Lei Shing Hong Investment Ltd where Gek Poh Group and the Lau family controls some 73% of the shares in the company.

Tan Sri Lau is no longer as active as he was before in the company where today, Hap Seng is run by a group of capable and professionals. The group started off in the timber business before it diversified through the years and today, it has a large portfolio under its wing. The major businesses that Hap Seng is involved today are covered in 6 areas which include quarry and building materials, property, automotive, fertilisers, plantations as well as credit financing.

Tan Sri Lau’s uncle Tan Sri Panglima Lau Gek Poh is the founder of the group where Hap Seng is the largest property developing company in Sabah while it also has various prominent properties in Kuala Lumpur like Menara Hap Seng and Menara Citibank. It is also the second largest quarry operator in the country and has been involved in the automotive industry through its dealer partnership to sell Mercedes-Benz cars.

Tan Sri Lau has a wealth of RM1.72billion where he had moved the company into becoming the third-largest lender in the non-bank sector while it also manufactures aggregates, bricks and asphalt where it has more than 25 years in its reserves. Apart from that, Hap Seng is also the top 3 fertiliser distributors in the country as well as Indonesia while it is the sole distributor of the Mitsubishi Fuso trucks in East Malaysia.

19. Datuk Shahril Shamsuddin 

Pemilikan aset berjumlah RM1.64 bilion (Sapura Group)

Datuk Shahril Shamsuddin is the Executive Vice-Chairman and President of Sapura Group. He has a wealth of RM1.21 billion and is the twenty-fourth richest person in the Malaysian Top 40 list. Datuk Shahril is one of the longest serving leaders in the company where he joined Sapura Group in 1985 and after having been involved in various senior positions in the group, he took over the CEO and President post in 1997.

Today, Sapura Group is one of the largest conglomerates in Malaysia where it is involved with various industries that include secured communications technologies, property development management, industrial and automotive component manufacturing as well as in the oil and gas services and education.

Aged 50, he runs the group together with his brother Shahriman where they have steered Sapura Group into becoming one of the most significant companies in Malaysia today. This include the major restructuring of the company and its portfolio and has been involved with making some very important decisions in Sapura which led to major acquisitions and strategic disposal of some of Sapura’s businesses and assets which were not performing.

Datuk Shahril was appointed as the Non-Executive Director and Executive Vice-Chairman of Sapura Crest in 2003 and sits in the Company’s Remuneration Committee. Apart from that, he is also the Executive Vice-Chairman & President of the group’s petroleum subsidiary, SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad as well as its other subsidiaries like the Deputy Chairman of Sapura Industrial Berhad, the Non-Executive Director of Sapura Resources Berhad as well as the President and CEO of Sapura Secured Technologies Sdn Bhd. He is also very much involved in other areas of the community where he sits in the Board of Trustees of the Perdana Leadership Foundation. On top of that, his remarkable achievements were recognized when he was awarded with the Malaysia Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year in 2009.

20. Datuk Shahriman Shamsuddin 

Pemilikan aset berjumlah RM1.64 bilion (Sapura Group)

Mr Shahriman Shamsuddin is the twenty-fifth richest person in the Malaysian top 40 richest people. He has a wealth of RM1.20billion which he gained through his affiliation with Sapura Resources Berhad Group of which he is the Managing Director and Executive Director. At the age of 43, he is considered to be one of the youngest tycoons in Malaysia today where he manages Sapura Group together with his brother Datuk Shahril Shamsuddin.

Shahriman took over the leadership of Sapura Resources in 2007 where he is involved in the major areas of the group that include investment holdings, property investment as well as in education. He started off humbly in the company in 1991 when he held some key senior positions in the group before being appointed to the board in 2005 in a Non-Independent Non-Executive capacity.

Apart from leading the main group, he also sits on the board of its subsidiaries that include

SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad, Sapura Technology Berhad, Sapura Industrial Berhad and Sapura Holdings Sdn. Bhd. Shahriman holds a Master of Science in Engineering Business Management as well as a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology from Warwick University and Purdue University respectively. As compared to his brother, Shahriman is known to be more low-profile as he is more involved in the diversified businesses of the group while Datuk Shahril speaks more on behalf of the entire group.

Together with his brother, Datuk Shahril, they hold 40.06% of SapuraCrest under the holdings company Sapura Holdings Bhd. In Sapura Holdings, they each hold 48% of shares while the rest is held by Rameli Musa. Sapura Group was formed by Tan Sri Shamsuddin Kadir, their father who firstv ventured into the telecommunications services and hardware back in 1975. He has since let his sons take over and handle the operations of the company.