Foreign Property News | Posted by Zarni Kyaw
The Ambanis and Mistrys from India, along with the Hartonos from Indonesia, are among Asia's 5 wealthiest families, boasting a collective net worth of $247.2 billion, as reported by Bloomberg.
1. The Ambanis, India
((From L) Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, his son Anant's fiancée Radhika Merchant, his son Anant, his wife Nita, his daughter Isha, Isha's husband Anand Piramal, his son Akash's wife Shloka, and his son Akash pose during Anant's engagement ceremony in Mumbai on Jan. 19, 2023. Photo by AFP)
The Ambanis family fortune stemmed from conglomerate Reliance Industries, which has investments in numerous fields including petrochemicals, telecoms, retail and financial services.
Reliance was founded by his late father Dhirubhai Ambani, a yarn trader, in 1966 as a small textile manufacturer. After his father's death in 2002, Mukesh Ambani and his younger sibling Anil divvied up the family empire.
It is now the largest private sector corporation in India with a market capitalization of $233.83 billion as of March 2024, according to the company’s website.
2. The Hartonos, Indonesia
(Michael Hartono, co-owner of Djarum Group. Photo by Reuters)
The Hartonos' wealth started with Oei Wie Gwan, who bought a kretek cigarette manufacturer in Indonesia and renamed it Djarum in 1950.
He later passed away and left his firm to his two sons, Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono, in 1963.
Utilizing Djarum’s fortune, the Hartono brothers acquired the investment firm Bank Central Asia, which now stands as the primary source of their wealth, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
The Hartono family has a collective wealth of $44.8 billion as of January 19, according to Bloomberg.
3. The Mistrys, India
(Shapoor Mistry, chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji Group. Photo courtesy of the company)
Shapoorji Pallonji Group, was founded by Pallonji Mistry’s grandfather as a construction enterprise in 1865 in India.
Shapoor Mistry, Pallonji Mistry’s eldest son, is currently the chairman of the family business.
The Mistrys' wealth is estimated to be at $36.2 billion as of January 19.
4. Kwok family, Hong Kong
(Raymond Kwok, chairman of Sun Hung Kai Properties. Photo courtesy of the company)
The Kwok’s fortune began with Kwok Tak-seng, who cofounded Sun Hung Kai Enterprises in 1963 and later listed it as property developer Sun Hung Kai Properties in 1972.
Several decades passed and the firm is now one of Hong Kong’s biggest developers.
Kwok Tak-seng’s three sons, Walter, Thomas and Raymond Kwok, inherited and co-managed the family business in 1990. The Kwok has a collective wealth of $32.3 billion as of January 19, according to Bloomberg.
5. Chearavanont family, Thailand
(Dhanin Chearavanont, senior chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group. Photo courtesy of the company)
Chinese-born Chia Ek Chor migrated to Thailand in 1921 and established a store selling vegetable seeds with his brother.
Over a hundred years later, it became the Charoen Pokphand Group (CP), one of the world's largest producers of animal feed and livestock.
The Chearavanont has $31.2 billion in wealth as of January 19, according to Bloomberg.
Photo Credit-AFP, Reuters, Shapoorji Pallonji, Sun Hung Kai Properties, Charoen Pokphand Group
Ref: Who are the 5 richest families in Asia? (vnexpress)
