Thailand’s Richest Man Not as Rich as Malaysia’s
By Zul • Jul 15th, 2008 • Category: All Things Malaysia •
Thailand’s richest man for 2008, Chaleo Yoovidhya, is worth less than half than Malaysia’s richest, Robert Kuok.
Forbes recorded Yoovidhya to have a net worth of US$4 billion, while the latter is worth US$10 billion.
Yoovidhya is the founder of energy drink, Red Bull, and is also responsible to take the brand into new height of successes none of his countrymen can imagine. With the help of his Austrian partner, Red Bull underwent a remarkable brand transformation into a worldwide phenomenon.
More than a billion Red Bull cans were sold in over 100 countries worldwide every year, while aggressive marketing campaigns saw the brand become major sponsors for sporting events including motor sport, football, hockey and extreme games.
If the top 10 richest men from the two countries - Malaysia and Thailand are combined, the new top 10 resulting table will see Malaysia billionaires dominating, through 7 representatives, and with 3 of them at the top, as follows:
| Rank | Name | Country | Net Worth (US$b) |
| 1 | Robert Kuok | Malaysia | 10.0 |
| 2 | Ananda Krishnan | Malaysia | 7.2 |
| 3 | Lee Shin Cheng | Malaysia | 5.5 |
| 4 | Chaleo Yoovidhya | Thailand | 4.0 |
| 5 | Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi | Thailand | 3.9 |
| 6 | Teh Hong Piow | Malaysia | 3.5 |
| 7 | Lee Kim Hua | Malaysia | 3.4 |
| 8 | Chirathivat family | Thailand | 2.8 |
| 9 | Quek Leng Chan | Malaysia | 2.4 |
| 10 | Yeoh Tiong Lay | Malaysia | 2.1 |
Yoovidhya ranks fourth richest after Robert Kuok, Andanda Krishnan of Maxis/Astro and Lee Shin Cheng of IOI Corporation.
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