Vietnam’s 5 top billionaires bag $12B net worth

Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of conglomerate Vingroup

Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of conglomerate Vingroup, Photo courtesy of the company

Pham Nhat Vuong is the richest person in the country with a $4.3 billion net worth.

Vuong studied in Russia and founded an instant noodle company in the Ukraine in the 1990s.

He then returned to Vietnam and became the chairman of Vingroup which is now the largest conglomerate in the country with focuses on property and electric vehicle manufacturing.

Vingroup’s EV unit VinFast is now listed in the U.S where it is building a $4-billion factory in North Carolina.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, chairwoman of carrier Vietjet Air

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, chairwoman of carrier Vietjet Air

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao is the second richest person in Vietnam with assets worth $2.8 billion.

She is considered the country’s first self-made female billionaire.

Thao launched Vietjet in 2011 and made it public in 2017.

She also has investments in HDBank and property projects.

Tran Dinh Long, chairman of steelmaker Hoa Phat Group

Tran Dinh Long, chairman of steelmaker Hoa Phat Group. Photo courtesy of the company

Tran Dinh Long has a net worth of $2.3 billion.

He founded Hoa Phat in 1992 and has turned it into the biggest steel producer in Vietnam. It has a $3 billion in Dung Quat which is being expanded to meet rising steel demand.

Ho Hung Anh, chairman of private lender Techcombank

Ho Hung Anh, chairman of private lender Techcombank

Ho Hung Anh ranks fourth in net worth at $1.8 billion. He is the chairman of Techcombank, one of the biggest private lenders in the country.

Anh also owns shares in Masan Group, a major retailer which is led by his close business partner Nguyen Dang Quang, who is also a billionare.

Tran Ba Duong, chairman of automaker Thaco

Tran Ba Duong, chairman of automaker Thaco. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Tran Ba Duong wraps up the list with a $1.2 billion net worth.

He started working at an auto repair factory in the 1980s and founded Thaco in 1997. The company at first sold cars and later assembled for foreign brands such as Kia, Mazda and Peugeot.

Thaco has now become a major conglomerate in Vietnam with interests in automobiles, property, agriculture and logistics.