So You Want to Be in Forbes Malaysia’s 50 Richest List?

Topping Forbes’ updated list for Malaysia’s 50 Richest for 2018 is founder of Berjaya Corporation Berhad, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun. Believe it or not, Vincent Tan’s highest education is only Form 5!

As unexpected as that is, quite a number of billionaires and successful entrepreneurs out there have mediocre education as well. But that isn’t necessarily a bad mark, for Vincent Tan himself says “everything I have learnt, I have learnt from experience. You must still get a university degree because it is very important, and that is why we have Berjaya University.”

His successful journey is the fruit of his hard work throughout the years, and thanks to him, Malaysia now has countless McDonalds, Starbucks and 7 Elevens - all popular spots for students.

To follow his footsteps and many others like him in the list, check out the infographic below to learn their journey and possibly help you in being as or even more successful than they are.

1.     Robert Kuok

The richest man in Malaysia; he is also known as the Sugar King for owning 80% of sugar sales in Malaysia prior to selling it off to FELDA. As a student, you might be familiar with the Kuok Foundation, founded by Raffles Institution alumni Robert Kuok to sponsor students to public and private universities such as Taylor’s University, HELP University, INTI International University, Monash University, SEGI University, and many more.

2.    Patrick Grove

The owner of Catcha Group, iProperty, iCar Asia, iFlix and Rev Asia, Patrick Grove is the co-founder and has received many awards and recognition for entrepreneurial success since graduating from the University of Sydney.

3.    Anthony Tan

Remember the hassle of trying to hail a taxi during a rush to get somewhere, but none seem to be available? From Anthony Tan and his classmate Hoi Ling Tan’s brilliant observation during schooling in Harvard Business School, they solved the hassle by creating the now-famous app GRAB, previously known as MyTeksi.

4.    Tony Fernandes

Unfamiliar with the success story that is Tony Fernandes? With his business partner Kamarudin, they took over a failing airline company for only RM 1 and turned it into AirAsia, a profitable airline in just under the span of two years. His prior experience comes from the London School of Economics before founding Tune Air Sdn Bhd, proving success in his venture.

5.    Teong Teck Lean

Have you heard of GDex? As one of the options for parcel delivery other than Pos Malaysia, Teong Teck Lean bought major shareholdings during GDex’s worst amid heavy scrutiny and managed to turn the service into a profitable in just three years despite holding only a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Manitoba.