Malaysia has a rich man by Forbes Magazine, Robert Kouk wealth reached U.S. $ 14.5 billion this year. He has businesses in various fields, ranging from rice, sugar, shipping services, real estate and media. In 2007, he also went into palm oil companies resulting from the merger of Indonesia and Singapore, Wilmar International which carried his nephew.
Robert who is now aged 86 has a fascinating story how he pioneered the business from the bottom. Robert Kuok began life by working at Mitsubishi for 3 years in the shipping division of rice. After his father died in 1948, three brothers founded the company with the name of the Kuok Bros Sdn Bhd. The company specialized in selling agricultural products, and success in 1961 when he bought a cheap sugar from India, where the price is then inflated.
He then founded the Malaysia Sugar Manufacturing, the company’s first sugar refinery in Malaysia. It made Robert has many relationships with big players and refined sugar.
Throughout the year 60-70s Kuok company grew rapidly with the increasing sugar prices. He created Perlis Plantations and expand its business to produce sugar.
Kuok along with other big players sell 1 million tons of sugar to China in 1971. The man who once dubbed the King of Sugar in Asia is then set up the largest sugar plantations in Indonesia who work with local entrepreneurs Liom Sioe Liong (Salim Sudono).
In the same year, he built the first hotel in Singapore, Shangri-La Hotel, and after that he built Shanri-La Kowloon in Hong Kong. Not stopping there, Robert also acquired 30 percent stake Sucden Kerry International, a French company that controls much of the world sugar trade.
Then get into the business of oil trading, by buying 67 percent shares of oil trading company of Hamburg. Not only that money was also invested into the media business, by buying 18 percent shares of TVB, which publishes the South China Morning Star.
In celebration of the Birthday of the Kuok Group, Robert said he was very little respect for and indebted to his mother. His mother who teaches the value of honesty and act as a captain in the family business. He also stressed that good company is to contribute to society.
“The industry is not possible without the vision of the founding members, contributions and employee loyalty and a strong moral principle from my mother.”
According to the father of 8 children, the wealth should be used for two main purposes: first, to create greater wealth. Second, part of the wealth should be able to improve mankind, with acts of philanthropy or investing in knowledge, health.
