Vietnam's Vuong Tops $104B List of Southeast Asia's Richest Men

The five wealthiest individuals in Southeast Asia, hailing from Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand, command a combined fortune of $104 billion. The list features titans of industry from conglomerates, technology, logistics, and energy.

Pham Nhat Vuong (Vietnam)

With a net worth of $35 billion as of June 26, Pham Nhat Vuong, the 57-year-old chairman of conglomerate Vingroup, is the wealthiest individual in Southeast Asia. He holds the 60th position on the global wealth ranking and is the sole Southeast Asian in the world's top 100, according to Forbes.

Vingroup's shares have quadrupled year-on-year, driven by investor optimism over potential infrastructure contracts, including high-speed rail lines, and the rapid expansion of its electric vehicle unit, VinFast. The automaker reported first-quarter deliveries of 58,600 vehicles, a 61% increase from the previous year, with 8% of sales occurring in international markets.

Vuong began his entrepreneurial career in the 1990s with an instant noodle business in Ukraine before returning to Vietnam to establish Vingroup. The company has since evolved into a sprawling conglomerate with interests in real estate, retail, healthcare, EV manufacturing, and infrastructure.

Jason Chang (Singapore)

Jason Chang, 82, chairman of Taiwan-based ASE Technology Holding, is the region's second-richest person with a fortune of $21.1 billion. Shares in ASE have surged 131% year-to-date, buoyed by soaring global demand for artificial intelligence chips.

Born in Shanghai in May 1944, Chang was raised in Taiwan, where he studied electronic engineering at National Taiwan University. He later earned a Master of Science in industrial engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. In 1984, he and his younger brother, Richard Chang, founded Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) after convincing their mother, real estate developer Chang Yao Hung-Ying, to invest in the nascent semiconductor sector.

ASE listed in Taiwan in 1989 and on the New York Stock Exchange in 2000. Following the 2018 acquisition of competitor Siliconware Precision, both companies were delisted and consolidated under a new entity, ASE Technology Holding, which now trades in both Taiwan and New York.

Enrique Razon Jr. (Philippines)

Ranked third in the region is Enrique Razon Jr., 66, with a net worth of $20 billion. He is the chairman of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), the largest port operator in the Philippines by revenue, which operates subsidiaries across the Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

The family enterprise dates back to 1916 when Razon's grandfather established a port in Manila. His father rebuilt the business post-World War II, and Razon spearheaded its international expansion. Beyond logistics, his hospitality firm, Bloomberry Resorts, expanded in 2024 with the opening of a second Solaire casino complex in Metro Manila.

Razon has also deepened his investments in infrastructure and energy. In 2024, he acquired control of Manila Water from Ayala Corp. He holds interests in offshore gas fields in the West Philippine Sea and, in 2025, acquired a 60% stake in four gas-fired power plants previously controlled by the Lopez Group.

Sarath Ratanavadi (Thailand)

Thailand's Sarath Ratanavadi, 60, holds the fourth-largest fortune in Southeast Asia at $17.9 billion. As CEO of Gulf Development, he leads one of Thailand's largest conglomerates, with core interests in telecommunications and digital infrastructure.

The current structure of Gulf Development was formed in 2025 following the merger of power producer Gulf Energy Development with telecom giant InTouch Holdings, which is the largest shareholder in mobile operator Advanced Info Service (AIS).

Ratanavadi has recently diversified into digital assets and finance. In 2024, a joint venture between Gulf Energy and Binance launched a cryptocurrency exchange in Thailand. In May 2025, Gulf began acquiring a stake in Kasikornbank, eventually becoming the second-largest shareholder in the country's third-largest bank by assets.

Dhanin Chearavanont (Thailand)

Completing the list is Dhanin Chearavanont, 87, the senior chairman of Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, with a net worth of $17.6 billion. CP Group is a global leader in the production of animal feed and livestock. The group's origins trace back to a seed shop opened in 1921 by his father, Chia Ek Chor, and uncle, Choncharoen Chiaravanont.

After leading the company for 48 years as chairman and CEO, Dhanin transitioned to a senior chairman role in 2017, appointing his eldest son, Soopakij, as chairman and his youngest son, Suphachai, as CEO.

Under the new leadership, the group continues to expand. In 2025, a subsidiary of its telecom arm, True, secured one of three digital banking licenses from the Thai government. True also entered a partnership with BlackRock to develop a $1 billion data center.