Vietnam: Pham Nhat Vuong
Pham Nhat Vuong, 57, chairman of conglomerate Vingroup, is the richest man in Southeast Asia with a net worth of $34.4 billion, according to U.S. magazine Forbes.
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Vingroup chairman Pham Nhat Vuong. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Tung |
He ranks 64th globally, surpassing many popular businesspeople such as Chinese tech tycoon Jack Ma ($28 billion) and American investor Ray Dalio ($15.4 billion).
A substantial portion of Vuong’s wealth comes from Vingroup, where he is the chairman. He and his family together control a 65% stake in the company.
Vingroup share has jumped about 30% this year after a 700% increase last year, driven by the speedy expansion of its electric car producer VinFast.
Of the other seven billionaires in Vietnam, each has a net worth of between $1.1 billion and $4.1 billion.
Indonesia: Prajogo Pangestu
Prajogo Pangestu, 81, is the second richest man in Southeast Asia with $23.3 billion in weath.
As son of a rubber trader, Pangestu got his start in the timber business in the late 1970s. His company Barito Pacific Timber went public in 1993 and changed its name to Barito Pacific after cutting back on its timber business in 2007.
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Indonesian billionaire Prajogo Pangestu, founder of Barito Pacific Group. Photo from the company’s website |
His wealth stems from a stake in petrochemical giant Barito Pacific and listed units spanning geothermal, renewable energy, coal and other resources.
His fortune, however, fell sharply earlier this year following a stock market sell-off triggered by the MSCI warning.
Thailand: Dhanin Chearavanont
Dhanin Chearavanont, 87, ranks third in wealth in Southeast Asia at $18.3 billion.
He serves as senior chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group, one of the world’s largest producers of animal feed and livestock.
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Dhanin Chearavanont. Photo by Bangkok Post via AFP |
He is the son of Chia Ek Chor, who, together with his brother Choncharoen Chiaravanont, opened a shop selling seeds imported from China in 1921.
In 2017, after 48 years as chairman and CEO, Dhanin appointed his eldest son, Soopakij, and youngest son, Suphachai, as CP’s chairman and CEO, respectively.
In 2025, a unit of the group’s telecom arm True secured one of three digital banking licences issued by the government. True also partnered with BlackRock on a $1 billion data centre venture.
Singapore: Jason Chang
Jason Chang, 81, is the fourth wealthiest individual in Southeast Asia at $17.3 billion.
He is the chairman of Taiwan’s ASE Technology Holding, a world-leading provider of semiconductor assembly and testing services.
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Jason Chang, chairman of ASE Technology Holding. Photo courtesy of the company |
He was born in May 1944 in Shanghai, China, but as his family relocated to Taiwan, he grew up there and studied electronic engineering at National Taiwan University, before earning a Master of Science in industrial engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
His mother, Chang Yao Hung-Ying, was a businesswoman in the real estate development sector and the founder of Hung Ching Development & Construction.
Philippines: Enrique Razon Jr.
Enrique Razon Jr., 66, is the richest man in the Philippines with a net worth of $15.7 billion. He is the chairman of International Container Terminal Services Inc., the Philippines’ largest port operator by revenue.
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Enrique Razon Jr. Photo by AFP |
Razon’s grandfather founded the business in 1916 with a port in Manila, which his father rebuilt after World War II. Razon later expanded the company globally.
His hospitality firm, Bloomberry Resorts, has broadened its operations in the Philippines, opening a second Solaire casino complex in Metro Manila in 2024.
Razon has also stepped up investments in infrastructure, acquiring Ayala Corp.’s stake and taking control of Manila Water in May 2024. He also holds interests in a gas field and bulk water supply facilities across the archipelago.
Malaysia: Robert Kuok
Among the six top billionaires in Southeast Asia, Robert Kuok, 102, ranks at the last place with $14 billion in net worth. He is also the oldest person among them.
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Robert Kuok attends a meeting in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China April, 18, 2005. Photo by China Daily via Reuters |
Known as the “Sugar King of Asia” and the founder of the Shangri-La luxury hotel chain, he owns Kuok group, which has interests in hotels, real estate and commodities.
Forbes’ list does not say there are any billionaire in the remaining Southeast Asian countries: Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, Myanmar and Timor-Leste.
