Billionaire

Yeah, I love writing about rich people. Simply cause in Malaysia, it's always the same old people. Most of the names, or the companies are familiar. They have been rich for generations and probably generations to come. Look at their wealth, man. Crazy stuff!

And one more thing. Some of them have so many kids! Is it because there's more than one wife, or is it because that one wife has awesome childbearing superpowers? I don't know.

25/40 are Chinese, which proves the theory that Chinese really make good businessmen/women.

No one knows about money the way a Chinese does!

I guess the most impressive thing about the non-Malay businessmen who made their wealth is that they did it all on their own, breaking their own backs; or at least their father or grandfather did (if they inherited the company). They're not entitled to any 'bumiputra' rights so their wealth and success is entirely of their own and no one can dispute that.

Will I ever be on this list? Hahaha...

Forbes 40 Richest People of Malaysia 2010

1. Robert Kuok

NET WORTH $12 billion

AGE 86
MARITAL STATUS Married, 8 children
SOURCE diversified

Biggest dollar gainer, up $3 billion. Stock of most valuable holding, palm oil outfit Wilmar International, run by nephew, rose 46% in past year but dropped more than 10% in the days after net worths were locked in, following allegations in the media that Indonesian subsidiaries were being scrutinized for obtaining fraudulent tax refunds. The company said it was confident that there is no case. Kuok recently sold several assets including sugar businesses, stake in Jerneh Insurance, prime land in Kuala Lumpur. Reportedly spends most of his time in Hong Kong.

2. Ananda Krishnan

NET WORTH $8.1 billion

AGE 72
MARITAL STATUS Married, 3 children
SOURCE telecom

Former oil trader's most valuable asset is Maxis Communications, nation's largest cellphone service provider, which went public in November, raising $3.4 billion in Malaysia's largest-ever IPO. His telecom interests in Indonesia and India still privately held. Plans to take his satellite TV broadcaster, Astro All Asia Networks, private. Reportedly mulling listing of shipping arm Bumi Aramada. Sold interest in property firm Overseas Union Enterprise to partner, Indonesia's Lippo Group.

3. Lee Shin Cheng

NET WORTH $4.6 billion
AGE 71
MARITAL STATUS Married, 6 children
SOURCE palm oil

Heads IOI Group, one of world's leading operators of palm oil refineries. Reportedly investing $300 million to expand.

4. Lee Kim Hua

NET WORTH $3.9 billion
AGE 81
MARITAL STATUS Widow, 6 children
SOURCE gaming

Widow of casino magnate Lim Goh Tong. Net worth up $1.4 billion as stocks of family's Genting and Genting Hong Kong (previously named Star Cruises) both rose nearly 50% in the past year.

5. Quek Leng Chan

NET WORTH $3.85 billion
AGE 69
MARITAL STATUS Married, 3 children
SOURCE diversified

His most valuable asset is his Hong Kong-listed Guoco Group. His Hong Leong Bank is bidding for EON Capital, Malaysia's seventh-largest bank; board just voted to recommend deal to shareholders. Took Hume Industries—cement, concrete, steel company—private this year. Recently paid $14 million for a penthouse in Singapore.

6. Teh Hong Piow

NET WORTH $3.8 billion
AGE 80
MARITAL STATUS Married, 4 children
SOURCE banking

Former bank clerk founded Public Bank in 1966 with profits from real estate deal; now nation's third-largest banking group. Also has operations in Cambodia, China, Vietnam, Laos and Sri Lanka. Teh underwent minor surgery in 2009 and is back at work.

7. Yeoh Tiong Lay

NET WORTH $2.5 billion
AGE 80
MARITAL STATUS Married, 7 children
SOURCE diversified

Founder of YTL Corp., one of Malaysia's largest conglomerates. Group recently took full control, from Australia's Macquarie Group, of Starhill Global REIT, which owns retail properties in Malaysia and Singapore. Also owns PowerSeraya, Singapore's second-largest power generator. Eldest son, Francis, has run operations for over 2 decades.

8. Syed Mukhtar Al Bukhary

NET WORTH $1.7 billion
AGE 58
MARITAL STATUS Married, 5 children
SOURCE diversified

Former rice trader gets bulk of fortune from Malaysia Mining Corp. (MMC), through which he holds concessions to operate a port and an airport in Johor; owns stake in power producer Malakoff. Through listed Tradewinds, recently took over national rice supplier Padiberas Nasional. Owns Harrods in Malaysia. Sponsors the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia.

9. Vincent Tan

NET WORTH $1.6 billion
AGE 58
MARITAL STATUS Married, 11 children
SOURCE diversified

His Berjaya Group operates Wendy's, Starbucks, Papa John's Pizza in Malaysia; water, sewage treatment and landfills in Malaysia, Indonesia and China; develops properties in Vietnam, Japan. Bought social networking website Friendster.com; also a U.K. soccer team (see box, p. 75). Selling his stake in Ascot Sports, which was recently reissued its betting license, to his publicly traded Berjaya Sports for $160 million.

10. Tiong Hiew King

NET WORTH $1.2 billion
AGE 75
MARITAL STATUS Married, 4 children
SOURCE timber

His Rimbunan Hijau has interests in palm oil, timber and property in Malaysia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Owns Media Chinese International, with 6 dailies and 30 magazines in North America, Southeast Asia and China. Pending shareholder approval, will sell his stake in EON Capital, one of Malaysia's smallest banks, to Quek Leng Chan's Hong Leong Bank.

11. Azman Hashim

NET WORTH $660 million
AGE 70
MARITAL STATUS Married, 5 children
SOURCE finance

Runs AmBank Group, Malaysia's fifth-largest bank. Plans to expand Islamic banking arm, AmIslamic Bank. Renaissance man: a singer who has recorded numerous albums and also likes painting, scuba diving.

12. Lee Oi Hian & Lee Hau Hian

NET WORTH $560 million
AGE 59/56
MARITAL STATUS Married, 4 children/Married, 1 child
SOURCE diversified

Siblings inherited control of Batu Kawan, with interests in palm oil and chemicals, from late father. Younger brother is group's managing director. Older brother is nonexecutive chairman and also chief executive of its listed subsidiary, Kuala Lumpur Kepong, which owns personal care products maker Crabtree & Evelyn.

13. Yaw Teck Seng & Yaw Chee Ming

NET WORTH $480 million
AGE 72/50
MARITAL STATUS Married, 8 children/Married
SOURCE forestry

Father founded forestry group Samling almost half a century ago. Eldest son, Yaw Chee Ming, runs group, which owns 3 million hectares in China, New Zealand, Australia, Guyana; produces logs, plywood, veneer. Fortune includes only holdings of these 2 Yaws; another son Yaw Chee Siew runs Singapore's Otto Marine and will be included among its richest.

14. Lim Wee Chai

NET WORTH $470 million
AGE 52
MARITAL STATUS Married, 2 children
SOURCE rubber gloves

His Top Glove is world's largest producer of rubber gloves by capacity; its stock more than doubled in past year despite rising raw material costs.

15. William H.J Cheng

NET WORTH $430 million
AGE 67
MARITAL STATUS Married, 3 children
SOURCE retail

Head of diversified Lion Group upped his stake in his most valuable holding, Parkson, retailer he heads with department stores in 26 cities in China. Expanding in Vietnam; plans to open stores in Cambodia and Indonesia by late next year. Married to former Chinese pop singer.

16. Goh Peng Ooi

NET WORTH $425 million
AGE 55
MARITAL STATUS Married, 2 children
SOURCE software

Former IBM employee founded Silverlake Axis, which provides banking and financial services software, in 1989. Sold 2 of his privately owned affiliates to company in March in $200 million stock deal, which boosted his stake in firm to 95%.

17. Lim Kok Thay

NET WORTH $360 million
AGE 58
MARITAL STATUS Married, 3 children
SOURCE gaming

Son of Lee Kim Hua (No. 4), has run family's leisure, casino group Genting since 2003. This year opened resort complex on Singapore's Sentosa Island; so far has 4 hotels, a Universal Studios theme park and a casino. Group also biggest casino operator in U.K.

18. Jeffrey Cheah

NET WORTH $350 million
AGE 65
MARITAL STATUS Married, 3 children
SOURCE real estate

Chairs Sunway Group, conglomerate with hotel, education, health care, infrastructure interests. Its property developer, Sunway City, codeveloping nearly 100 acres in eco-city in Tianjin, China. A Caribbean subsidiary was recently awarded a reported $300 million contract for a government building in Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

19. Anthony Fernandes

NET WORTH $330 million
AGE 46
MARITAL STATUS Married, 2 children
SOURCE airlines

Head of AirAsia, region's largest budget airline. Its 49%-owned affiliate, Thai AirAsia, likely to go public. He also runs long-haul discount airline AirAsia X, which added routes to India and Korea this past year. Attempting to enter Vietnam through a joint venture with a local airline. Started mobile service Tune Talks in 2009. Has stake in Lotus Racing, Malaysia's F1 team that started last year.

20. G. Gnanalingam

NET WORTH $320 million
AGE 65
MARITAL STATUS Married, 3 children
SOURCE port

Cofounder of port operator Westports Malaysia. Also has stakes in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, developer of city's transit hub; Pelikan International, which sells writing instruments; logistics firm, Konsortium Logistik. Has offered to take over financially troubled Maika Holdings, investment arm of political party, Malaysian Indian Congress.

21. Kamarudin Meranun

NET WORTH $300 million
AGE 49
MARITAL STATUS Married, 5 children
SOURCE airlines

Cofounded AirAsia with Tony Fernandes. Has smaller stake in AirAsia but larger one in long-haul carrier Air Asia X; co-invests with him in almost every other business ranging from hospitality to finance and education.

22. Chan Fong Ann

NET WORTH $290 million
AGE 79
MARITAL STATUS Married
SOURCE palm oil

Nonexecutive director of palm oil group IOI is the largest individual shareholder not related to Chairman Lee (No. 3).

23. Shahril & Shahriman Shamsuddin

NET WORTH $270 million
AGE 47/41
MARITAL STATUS NA
SOURCE oil & gas

Brothers have equal stakes in Sapura Group, founded by father Shamsuddin bin Abdul Kadir and named after late mother. Shahril is chief executive of its affiliate SapuraCrest Petroleum, the listed oil and gas contractor that makes up the bulk of their fortune. Ice hockey fan, he has an M.B.A. from MIT's Sloan School; Shahriman is Purdue University grad.

24. A.K Nathan

NET WORTH $250 million
AGE 54
MARITAL STATUS Married, 2 children
SOURCE construction

Owns and runs Eversendai, a Kuala Lumpur contractor that fabricates, designs and erects the steel frames for buildings. He grew up in Malaysia, aside from some years of schooling in India. His university education ended when the money ran out. His big break came when he was working at a temporary job and won a contract for a Japanese company doing business in Malaysia. That persuaded him to start his own business, in 1984.

25. Chong Chook Yew

NET WORTH $230 million
AGE 88
MARITAL STATUS Widow, 4 children
SOURCE education

Columbia University grad took reins of Selangor Properties after husband and cofounder, T.K. Wen, died a decade ago. Owns 61% of company run by son Wen Chiu Chi. Listed for-profit education subsidiary, Help International, plans to open new campus in Kuala Lumpur in 2010.

26. Mokhzani Mahatir

NET WORTH $215 million
AGE 49
MARITAL STATUS Married, 5 children
SOURCE gas

Son of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad disappeared from corporate world a decade ago amid allegations that his father had helped bail out his failing companies. Now runs petroleum company Kencana and small fiber-optic cable outfit Opcom Holdings. Race car driver chairs Sepang International Circuit, home to the Malaysian Grand Prix.

27. Ahmayuddin Mohamad

NET WORTH $210 million
AGE 53
MARITAL STATUS Married, 4 children
SOURCE port

A director at both property developer Kuala Lumpur Sentral and Westports Malaysia, the port he cofounded with G. Gnanalingam.

28. Lau Cho Kun

NET WORTH $200 million
AGE 74
MARITAL STATUS Married
SOURCE diversified

Controlling shareholder in tilemaker Malaysian Mosaic and diversified Hap Seng, both founded by late uncle Lau Gek Poh. Sold Hap Seng's China leasing and financing arm for $30 million.

29. Chen Lip Keong

NET WORTH $180 million
AGE 62
MARITAL STATUS Married
SOURCE gaming

Trained medical doctor runs NagaCorp, which holds 70-year monopoly on gaming in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; its slot machine revenues shot up last year as government shut down illegal operators, but stock is flat. Also a shareholder in Karambunai, a Malaysia-listed property, tourism group, whose shares fell by half in past year.

30. Lee Swee Eng

NET WORTH $155 million
AGE 54
MARITAL STATUS Married
SOURCE oil services

Tried to take his struggling oil-and-gas services provider, KNM Group, private, but talks fell apart, apparently over the price he was willing to pay. Company's stock down over 25% since last year. He invested a reported $12 million in Mission NewEnergy, an Australian renewable energy outfit. Shares fortune with wife, Gan Siew Liat.

31. Liew Kee Sin

NET WORTH $150 million
AGE 51
MARITAL STATUS Married, 4 children
SOURCE real estate

Runs SP Setia, nation's largest property developer by sales. Group bought land in Melbourne in March. With a mainland partner, plans to develop 25 acres in Xiaoshan, China. Launching ad campaign on airline Firefly's 7 planes.

32. Nazir Razak

NET WORTH $145 million
AGE 43
MARITAL STATUS Married, 2 children
SOURCE banking

Brother of Prime Minister Najib Razak, studied philosophy at University of Cambridge, then went into banking. Now heads Malaysia's second-largest financial services firm, CIMB Group; already in 11 countries, it's considering expanding into Vietnam, Cambodia. Plans dual listing in Thailand in July.

33. Eleena Azlan Shah

NET WORTH $141 million
AGE 50
MARITAL STATUS Married, 2 children
SOURCE infrastructure

Director of infrastructure group Gamuda since 1992. Also sits on board of securities brokerage firm KAF—Seagroatt & Campbell. Daughter of a sultan, trained as a lawyer. Set up own law firm in Malaysia 1987; still practices.

34. Ong Leong Huat

NET WORTH $140 million
AGE 66
MARITAL STATUS Married, 5 children
SOURCE diversified

Runs OSK Group with interests in finance, real estate. Director of Malaysian stock exchange. Son Ju Yan, a Yale graduate, sits on OSK Venture board. Daughter Yee Ching is director of OSK Property.

35. Rozali Ismail

NET WORTH $136 million
AGE 52
MARITAL STATUS Married, 6 children
SOURCE infrastructure

Executive chairman of Puncak Niaga, Malaysia's largest listed water treatment and distribution company. Subsidiary Syabas ordered by court to pay $20 million to supplier in May. Got start in Islamic banking; practiced law.

36. Kua Sian Kooi

NET WORTH $135 million
AGE 57
MARITAL STATUS Married, 4 children
SOURCE insurance

Executive chairman of insurance underwriter Kurnia Asia; its main subsidiary is Kurnia Insurans, nation's largest general insurer. Has been working to reduce dependence on car insurance business. Stock up 50% in past year.

37. Lin Yun Ling

NET WORTH $130 million
AGE 55
MARITAL STATUS Married, 2 children
SOURCE infrastructure

Founder and managing director of Gamuda, which has a new residential project in Hanoi. Sold 70% of his stake 2 years ago for approximately $110 million.

38. David Law Tien Seng

NET WORTH $125 million
AGE NA
MARITAL STATUS NA
SOURCE mining

Sold stake in Australian iron ore firm Midwest in September 2008 for more than $100 million. Has purchased office building in Kuala Lumpur through his TS Law Group.

39. Abdul Hamed Sepawi

NET WORTH $120 million
AGE 61
MARITAL STATUS Married, 2 children
SOURCE timber

Built Ta Ann from small trading firm to timber conglomerate. Last year it became a member of conservation group Global Forest & Trade Network and announced plans to source most of its wood from planted forests by 2014.

40. Syed Mohd Yusof Tun Syed Nasir

NET WORTH $110 million
AGE 62
MARITAL STATUS Married, 3 children
SOURCE banking

Former chairman of Southern Bank and business partner of Sultan of Selangor. Sold stake in investment bank K&N Kenanga in January. Construction delayed on Four Seasons Hotel he is building in Kuala Lumpur with Singapore rich lister Ong Beng Seng reportedly due to financing issues.