The book titled "Robert Kuok"

I had finished reading a book call "Robert Kuok". Robert had spent 15 years preparing this book. I thought you may be interested to know more about this great man.

Robert Kuok Hock Nien is a Malaysian Chinese business magnate and investor. According to Forbes, his net worth is estimated at $12.2 billion on July 2017, making him the richest person in Malaysia.

He is known as Sugar King and he owns companies like Wilmar International, PACC Offshore Services Holdings, Shangri La Asia, Kerry Properties and Kerry Logistics.


Below are extracts from the book:

• I didnt plan to develop a hotel chain at the outset, but I was eager to diversify from commodity trading. Commodity trading is inherently risky. The only way you can trade commodities and make a fortune is to take substantial risks. There is no joy in getting too big in commodities trading. If you reach too high, you are in danger of going bust.
-> Robert setup a hotel chain call Shangri-La to diversify from his commodity business.

• As the market crashed, Shangri-La shares fell to $1.10 and even as low as 92 cents. As the stock dropped, I started to buy.

• In any business world, you must look for three ingredients when you hire staff: talent, integrity and stamina for hard work. If any of these three traits are missing, forget the guy.
-> Warren Buffett said something similar as well.

• It has been more than 35 years since Deng Xiaoping set the country on its current course, and the present leadership continues to put its people first.

• I saw in one of my nephews a businessman who was at least as able as myself. It appeared that in Khoon Hong (Chairman of Wilmar) I had the most capable Kuok ever. Khoon Hong has a special entrepreneurial talent to see opportunity and turn it into a thriving business.

• To me, talent and instincts in business are inborn and cannot be learned in the classroom.

• All my life I have abhorred the thought of only engaging elite people to run my company. Something tells me that they would only lead me to an early disaster.

• Students who score brilliant results scholastically are the envy of the majority of their peers. Once they have attained success, very often it turns their heads. When you study their progress in life, they often fail in their later years. Conceit crept in too soon, and at dangerous age.

• I am troubled even by the concept of inheritance. Mother's words make a lot of sense: "If your children are like you, they do not need your inheritance from you. If they are not like you,  of what use is your inheritance to them? "