Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay was born on the 18th December 1929. in Klang, Malaysia, of Chinese ancestry, and is a businessman best known to the world as the founder of the YTL Corporation, which is the largest conglomerate of Malaysia, with interests in companies in numerous industries, including hotels, construction, property development and technology, among others.
Have you ever wondered how rich Yeoh Tiong Lay is, as of mid-2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Yeoh Tiong Lay`s net worth is as high as $2.5 billion, with the main source of this amount of money being his successful involvement as a businessman, in a professional career now spanning more than six decades.
Yeoh Tiong Lay Net Worth $2.5 Billion
Little is known about Lay`s childhood, apart from the fact that he went to the Hin Hua High School in Klang.
Yeoh`s business career began as early as 1955, when he founded the YTL Corporation, as an infrastructure development firm, however, over the years, it has expanded to other industries. It owns one of the largest of Singapore`s power generators, PowerSeraya, of which some of the biggest subsidiaries are YTL Cement, Syarikat Pembinaan YTL, YTL Hotels, YTL Land & Development Bhd, all of which have only increased his net worth to a large degree.
Through those subsidiaries, Yeoh owns numerous smaller and larger companies, and has expanded his business overseas. He now owns companies in Australia, Japan, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Spain, the United Kingdom and France, also owning hotels and other real estate properties as parts of a diversified portfolio of business interests. These include such notable properties as the luxury train Eastern & Oriental Express that runs from Singapore to Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur’s Ritz-Carlton hotel.
Since its inception, the YTL company has grown to become the largest conglomerate of Malaysia, which has helped Yeoh to become one of the richest people in Malaysia, precisely he is 7th richest person in Malaysia as ranked by Forbes magazine.
Thanks to his successful career, and contributions to Malaysian economy, culture, and building a better relationship with other Asian countries, Yeoh was rewarded with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Emperor of Japan in 2008. Furthermore, he serves as Pro-Chancellors at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
When it comes to speak about his personal life, Yeoh Tiong Lay has been married to Chen Kairong since 1953, and they have seven children, one of whom, Francis Yeoh is the current managing director of YTL Corp, and has been in that position since 1988.
Yeoh is also a noted philanthropist, having donated $11 million to King’s College, London in 2013, to found the Yeoh Tiong Lay Centre for Politics, Philosophy & Law, among other donations.
