10. Kuan Kam Hon USD$2.4bil (RM9.8bil)
Kuan Kam Hon was a high school drop-out who began his career in building and construction in 1969.He worked at his father’s company building high-end homes around Kuala Lumpur.
He set off on his own in 1978 and started Timol Weaving, a manufacturing business that made woven labels and badges.
Founded in 1981, Hartalega Holdings is the world’s largest and fastest maker of nitrile gloves, which it exports to 40 countries.He is now a mentor and spokesman, leaving operations to his two sons.
9. Koon Poh Keong, Poh Ming & Poh Weng, USD$2.6bil (RM10.6bil)
Koon Poh Keong, Poh Ming and Poh Weng started Press Metal with two other brothers in the mid-1980s. The brothers pooled $50,000 to start the aluminum-extruding company at a time when Malaysia was in a recession.
Today Press Metal is Southeast Asia’s largest integrated aluminum producer and competes with Rio Tinto, Russia’s RUSAL and the Aluminum Corp of China.
Poh Keong is group chief executive while Poh Ming is executive vice chairman and Poh Weng is executive director. Poh Ming and Poh Keong, the two biggest shareholders, made the list of Malaysia’s richest for the first time in 2017. Poh Weng joined them in 2019.