Forbes Asia 2009′s list of Malaysia’s richest people
According to Forbes Asia, the 40 richest Malaysians in 2009 are as follows. The numbers in parentheses denotes their rank last year:
1.(1) Tan Sri Robert Kuok, 85, USD9 billion, down from USD10 billion last year. He has perennially topped the Malaysian rich list.
2.(2) Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan, 71, USD7 billion, down from USD7.2 billion last year. He is the perennial no.2 behind Kuok. Together with Kuok, they are the richest people in South East Asia and account for 44% of the total wealth of Malaysia’a 40 richest.
3.(3) Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng, 70, USD3.2 billion, of IOI group, who runs the biggest palm oil plantation in the world. His wealth was USD5.5 billion last year.
4.(5) Lee Kim Hua, 80, USD2.5 billion. She is the widow of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong of Genting Bhd, who died in 2007. Her son Lim Kok Thay (No. 14) now heads Genting.
5.(4) Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow, 79 USD2.4 billion, the chairman of Public Bank Bhd.
6.(6) Quek Leng Chan, 68, USD2.3 billion. Head of Hong Leong Group.
7.(7) Yeoh Tiong Lay, 79, USD1.8 billion. Founder of YTL Corp, now run by his son Francis.
8.(8) Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary, 57, USD1.1 billion. Controls Malaysia Mining Corp. (MMC).
9.(10) Tiong Hiew King, 74, USD1 billion. Rimbunan Hijau: timber tycoon. That means Malaysia has 9 US dollar billionaires. The total wealth of the top 9 is USD30 billion, or 84% of the total wealth of the top 40.
10.(9) Vincent Tan, 57, USD750 million.
11.(11) Tan Sri Azman Hashim, 69, USD470 million.
12.(12) William H.J. Cheng, 66, USD390 million.
13.(26) G. Gnanalingam, 64, USD260 million.
14.(15) Lim Kok Thay, 57, USD225 million.
15.(19) Anthony Fernandes, 45, USD220 million.
16.(20) Mokhzani Mahathir, 48, USD215 million.
17.(17) Lee Oi Hian, 58, USD210 million.
18.(-) Chan Fong Ann, 78, USD209 million. A nonexecutive director at IOI group and one of its biggest individual shareholders at almost 3%.
19.(21) Kamarudin Meranun, 48, USD205 million. Cofounded Air Asia with Tony Fernandes.
20.(24) Chong Chook Yew, 87, USD200 million.
21.(-) Chen Lip Keong, 61, USD195 million. Built Cambodia’s largest gaming resort, NagaWorld.
22.(13) Lee Swee Eng, 53, USD190 million.
23.(22) Jeffrey Cheah, 64, USD185 million.
24.(27) Lim Wee Chai, 51, USD180 million. Inspiring story: with wife spent USD180K in savings in 1991 to start a business trading… rubber gloves. Later started manufacturing them. Now their company Top Glove is one of the world’s largest in its specialty; apparently 24% global market share.
25.(34) Ahmayuddin Ahmad, 52, USD175 million.
26.(23) Lee Hau Hian, 55, USD174 million.
27.(29) Lau Cho Kun, 73, USD165 million.
28.(16) Vinod Sekhar, 41, USD150 million.
29.(33) Liew Kee Sin, 50, USD140 million.
30.(32) Tiah Thee Kian, 61, USD135 million.
31.(-) Rozali Ismail, 53, USD130 million.
32.(36) Lin Yun Ling, 54, USD115 million.
33.(18) Yaw Teck Seng, 71, USD113 million.
34.(-) Goh Peng Ooi, 53, USD112 million, the richest IT guy, heads Silverlake Axis, a banking solutions provider, which he founded in 1989.
35.(35) Eleena Azlan Shah, 49, USD110 million. The largest individual shareholder in infrastructure firm Gamuda.
36.(31) David Law Tien Seng, USD105 million.
37.(-) Syed Mohd Yusof Tun Syed Nasir, 61, USD100 million.
38.(-) Hamdan Mohamad, 53, USD98 million. Controls Ranhill Bhd.
39.(-) Tan Teong Hean, 65, USD95 million.
40.(28) Kua Sian Kooi, 56, USD90 million. Executive chairman of insurance firm Kurnia Asia.
The total wealth of the top 40: USD36 bilion, down from USD46 bullion a year ago.
The following are those who were in the top 40 last year, but failed to make it this year (with last year’s wealth figure in parentheses):
Ong Beng Seng, 64 (USD470 m)
Yaw Chee Ming, 50 (USD240 m)
Abdul Hamed Sepawi, 59 (USD180 m)
Ong Leong Huat, 65 (USD130 m)
Lim Thian Kiat, 51 (USD115 m)
Khoo Kay Peng, 70 (USD110 m)
Nazir Razak, 42 (USD100 m)
Probably a lot of these people are involved in providing industrial supplies.
