Robert Kuok Biography
Mr. Robert Kuok Hock Nien, or Robert Kuok (born October 6, 1923), is a Malaysian business entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist who has lived in Hong Kong since 1973.
According to Forbes, his net worth is predicted to be $11.8 billion as of April 2023, making him the wealthiest Malaysian citizen and the 96th richest person in the world.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2023, Kuok’s net worth as of April 2023 is $17.7 billion, ranking him as the world’s 97th richest person.
Despite his huge commercial success and immense riches, Kuok has remained media shy and keeps a low public image, with the majority of his firms privately owned by him or his family members.
Apart from supervising the ownership of a number of enterprises dispersed across many industries in the Malaysian economic landscape, his companies have investments in many countries throughout Continental Asia.
His business interests (known collectively as the Kuok Group of Companies) include sugarcane plantations (Perlis Plantations Bhd), sugar refineries, flour milling, animal feed, oil, mining, financial services, hotels (Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts), real estate (Kerry Properties), trading, freight shipping (Kerry Logistics), and publishing.
The major source of riches that has contributed to his personal fortune is a stake in Singaporean company Wilmar International, the world’s largest publicly traded palm oil dealer.
Kuok was appointed as an advisor to the Council of Eminent Persons for three months in 2018, during Mahathir Mohamad’s second term as prime minister.
Robert Kuok Wikipedia
Full Name: Mr. Robert Kuok Hock Nien
Stage Name: Robert Kuok
Born: October 06, 1923 in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Age: 101 years
Nationality: Malaysia
Source Of Wealth: Palm Oil, Shipping, Property
Organizations founded: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Education: Raffles College, English College, Raffles Institution
Marital Status: Married
Spouse: Ho Poh Lin
Children: Kuok Hui Kwong, Beau Kuok, Yen Kuok
Net Worth: 12.2 billion USD (2024)
Robert Kuok’s Early life and education
Kuok was born on October 6, 1923, in Johor Bahru to a rich Malaysian Chinese family during British colonial authority.
His father’s English-speaking clerk enrolled him in an English-medium primary school and named him after Robert the Bruce.
Kuok’s father, Kuok Keng Kang, arrived in British Malaya in the early twentieth century from Fuzhou (Hokchew), Fujian (Hokkien), China, and Robert was the youngest of three brothers born to Kuok Keng Kang and Robert’s mother, Zheng Ge Ru.
During the Japanese occupation of Malaya in WWII, he grew up speaking his parents’ Fuzhou dialect, English, and then Japanese.
He also studied at English College Johore Bahru for his secondary school and later at Raffles Institution in Singapore where he was classmates with Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father and the country’s first prime minister.
Robert Kuok Career and business
Kuok claims that he started out in business as an office boy and eventually built a company from the ground up with help from his relatives.
He joined forces and started working as a clerk for Mitsubishi, a Japanese industrial company, after graduating.
Shoji Kaisha was a conglomerate that, with the aid of a Japanese military unit, monopolized the rice trade in Malaya between 1942 and 1945, when Japan was occupying Singapore.
He was shortly given the position of department head for trading in rice. He applied the occupation force’s training to the family company in Johor after the war.
Kuok, his two brothers, and a relative named Kuok Hock Chin established Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd in 1949 to trade agricultural products after the death of the senior Kuok in 1948.
After Malaya obtained independence, Kuok’s ties with the Japanese persisted. With two eminent Japanese partners, Kuok founded Malayan Sugar Manufacturing Co. Bhd. in 1959.
Additionally, he added numerous powerful Malay elites, including monarchy and politicians, to his board of directors and shareholder list.
He began investing heavily in sugar refineries in 1961 and purchased inexpensive sugar from India before prices skyrocketed. By controlling 80% of the Malaysian sugar market at one point and producing 1.5 million tonnes of sugar, or 10% of the world’s total, he earned the moniker “Sugar King of Asia.”
He obtained the land for the first Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore in 1971 through Petaling Garden Berhad, a developer with headquarters in Malaysia. at 1977, he made his first entry into Hong Kong real estate when he bought a piece of land on the waterfront at Tsim Sha Tsui East, which had just been reclaimed.
On this ground, he later constructed his second hotel, the Kowloon Shangri-La. His Kerry Group bought Murdoch’s News Corporation’s 34.9% interest in the South China Morning Post in 1993. On April 1st, 1993, Kuok formally retired from the Kerry Group.
His corporations have financial ties to numerous nations, including Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, China’s mainland, Indonesia, Fiji, and Australia.
Ten Coca-Cola bottling firms operate in China, and the Beijing World Trade Center is one of their properties.
His firm’s holdings in freight shipping include Transmile Group and Malaysian Bulk Carriers Berhad.
In 2007, Kuok joined forces with Wilmar International to form the largest palm oil processor in the world by combining his plantations, edible oil, and grain businesses.
Robert Kuok-led PPB Group announced to Bursa Malaysia on October 31, 2009, that it had decided to sell its sugar plants and the land used to grow sugar cane to FELDA for RM 1.29 billion. The sales gave the business a one-time profit.
In order to raise $400 million, Kuok’s Singapore-based oil services business PACC Offshore Services Holdings (POSH) began pre-IPO discussions with investors in February 2014.
Robert Kuok Politics
His selection as one of the Hong Kong Affairs Advisors in the run-up to the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong and his minority ownership in CITIC Pacific are testaments to his political clout.
In addition, he played a key role in coordinating the discussions between the governments of Malaysia and China which resulted in complete diplomatic recognition between the two nations.
Kuok was appointed to the five-member Council of Eminent Persons on May 12, 2018, following that year’s general election in Malaysia, along with Tun Daim Zainuddin, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Tan Sri Hassan Marican, and Jomo Kwame Sundaram, to provide advice to the newly elected Pakatan Harapan federal government.
Robert Kuok Companies
Robert Kuok Hock Nien owns and manages a large number of firms in a variety of industries in Malaysia, as well as investments in several countries throughout Continental Asia. His business holdings are collectively referred to as the Kuok Group of Companies.
His main source of income is a shareholding in Wilmar International, the world’s largest publicly traded palm oil trader firm.
Other significant firms affiliated with Robert Kuok Hock Nien include the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Kerry Group, Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd, and Malayan Sugar Manufacturing Company.
Robert Kuok Major Accomplishments
Robert Kuok Hock Nien’s key accomplishments include starting a corporate empire from scratch, expanding the family business into a global conglomerate, and becoming one of Malaysia’s wealthiest individuals.
He is commonly known as the “Sugar King of Asia” due to his domination in the Malaysian sugar business.
His successful investments in a variety of businesses, including hospitality, real estate, and agricultural, have helped him amass enormous riches.
Additionally, his involvement in fostering diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China is regarded as a notable achievement.
Robert Kuok’s Personal life
Kuok has had two marriages. Pauline Ho Poh Lin is his second wife; his first wife was Joyce Cheah. As a result of his marriage, he has eight kids.
His son Kuok Khoon Ean, who was born in 1955 and married Kuok Cheng Sui, is a graduate of the University of Nottingham in England with a bachelor’s degree in economics.
Kuok Khoon Ho, his other son, who was born in 1951 and has a bachelor’s degree from Canada’s McGill University, is the chairman of Kuok Brothers.
His daughter, Kuok Hui Kwong, serves as chairman of Shangri-La Asia and managing director and chief executive of SCMP Group.
The majority of the day-to-day management of his company is handled by one of his sons, Kuok Khoon Ean. He is presently a Kuala Lumpur resident.
Philip Kuok Hock Khee, the brother of Kuok, served as Malaysia’s former ambassador to Germany, Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Denmark.
After marrying Eileen Kuok, Philip gave birth to two sons and two daughters. 2003 saw Philip Kuok’s passing.
William Kuok Hock Ling, another brother, was a member of the Malayan Communist Party and was killed in 1952 during the Malayan Emergency.
In his memoir, Kuok wrote that his mother Zheng Ge Ru loved and adored William the most out of all the brothers and was devastated to learn of his passing.
Kuok Khoon Hong, his nephew and the chairman of Wilmar International, is one of Singapore’s wealthiest individuals. Robert Kuok’s older cousin Kuok Hock Swee was the father of Kuok Khoon Hong.
Kuok Meng Ru, his grand-nephew, owns the Swee Lee music company and works in the music retail sector.
Buddhist is how Kuok identifies. He resides on Hong Kong Island in the Deep Water Bay neighborhood.
In 2023, Robert Kuok will turn 100 on October 6.
Robert Kuok Awards
Robert Kuok Hock Nien has garnered various medals and accolades for his commercial acumen and contributions to society. In 2018, he wrote “Robert Kuok: A Memoir,” which won the Singapore Book Publishers Association’s Best Book of the Year award.
Robert Kuok Facts
Malaysia’s richest man is Robert Kuok. He is the owner of the Kuok group, which has stakes in hotels, properties, and commodities.
In Singapore, he established the renowned Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts group in 1971.
Kuok owns a sizable investment in Wilmar International, which is run by his nephew Kuok Khoon Hong.
Kuok Khoon Hua, the eldest son of Robert Kuok, serves as chairman and CEO of Hong Kong real estate firm Kerry Properties.
Robert Kuok Legacy
Robert Kuok Hock Nien is a highly recognized businessman who is well noted for his philanthropic efforts. He has contributed significantly to education, healthcare, and cultural endeavors. His legacy consists of enterprise, creativity, and a dedication to social responsibility. He is widely recognized as one of Asia’s most important business leaders.
Robert Kuok Nationality
Born in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Robert Kuok is a Malaysian.
Robert Kuok’s Net Worth
Robert Kuok will be the richest Malaysian and the 96th richest person in the world as of April 2023, according to Forbes, when his net worth is predicted to be 12.2 billion USD (2024).
Robert Kuok is now ranked as the 97th richest person in the world as of April 2023, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2023, with an estimated net worth of 12.2 billion USD (2024).
Robert Kuok Height & Weight
Robert Kuok is 53 kilograms tall and 5 feet and 5 inches wide.
Robert Kuok Social Media
Robert Kuok’s Instagram handle is @robertkuok_.
Why is Robert Kuok famous?
Robert Kuok is a well-known Malaysian business magnate, businessman, and philanthropist who has lived in Hong Kong since 1973 and celebrated his 101th birthday today, October 6, 2024.
How old is Robert Kuok?
Robert Kuok, a Malaysian business tycoon, philanthropist, and investor, was born on October 6, 1923.
Where is Robert Kuok from?
Robert Kuok is a Malaysian who was born and raised in Johor Bahru, the state’s capital and the southernmost point of the Malay Peninsula. It serves as a starting point for travel to Singapore thanks to a causeway that spans the Straits of Johor.
What are the achievements of Robert Kuok?
He was dubbed “the Sugar King of Asia” because he once famously held 10% of the global sugar market. In Singapore, where Kuok established a headquarters in 1953, the first Shangri-La Hotel debuted there in 1971.
How did Robert Kuok start his business?
He founded Kuok Brothers with other members of his family in 1948, the year his father passed away. The business dealt in wheat flour, sugar, and rice. In 1959, he founded Malaysian Sugar Manufacturing, which grew to become the biggest refiner in Southeast Asia, controlling 60% of the domestic sugar supply.
What were the challenges faced by Robert Kuok?
His father beat him, and his parents fought all the time. When his father’s business faltered during the Great Depression, he thought that most people neglected him and they fell into poverty. During his lifetime, he had to endure both British colonization and the Japanese invasion.
