Top 7 Vietnamese Billionaires Featured in the Global Billionaires List

Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong is the first Vietnamese billionaire recognized by Forbes in 2013 with a fortune of 1.7 billion USD. Over the years, he has consistently appeared on the global billionaires list and is the richest person in Vietnam. Born in Ha Tinh, Mr. Vuong graduated from Moscow Geological University in Russia with a bachelor's degree in Economic Geology. Growing up in difficult times, he developed the mindset and ambition to study hard to earn money, support his family, and contribute to the country.

Vingroup operates based on a development strategy with four main brand groups: Vinhome (real estate), Vinpearl (tourism - entertainment), Vincharm (healthcare and beauty), and Mytour (high-quality healthcare). Furthermore, the conglomerate has expanded into other sectors such as Vinschool (education system from kindergarten to high school), VinWonders (amusement - entertainment), VinFa (pharmaceuticals), etc. Vingroup is widely regarded as a diversified brand and the largest conglomerate in Vietnam. The company has also made a mark in the real estate sector with internationally acclaimed projects like Time City, Royal City, Vinhomes Nguyen Chi Thanh, and notably, the tallest building in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, Landmark 81.

A significant leap was made by Pham Nhat Vuong with the introduction of the Vinfast car brand in October 2018. Although a relatively new player in the Vietnamese automotive industry, VinFast has surprised the world with its achievements. At the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the USA, VinFast announced its vision to become a 100% electric car company by the end of 2022.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao is a well-known billionaire, recognized as the CEO of Vietjet Air. Born in 1970 in Hanoi, she holds a Ph.D. in Automation from Mendeleev Academy, a bachelor's degree from Moscow Trade Academy, and another bachelor's degree from Moscow National Economic University. As part of the Eastern European student group, she earned her first one million US dollars at the age of 21 through commercial activities. In 2021, HDBank, where Mrs. Thao serves as the Vice Chairwoman, achieved a pre-tax profit of nearly 8,000 billion VND, a 40% increase from the previous year, the highest figure in the bank's more than 30 years of operation.

Due to the impact of border closures and social distancing, Vietjet Air, the airline founded by Mrs. Thao, temporarily reduced its operations to a minimum, only transporting goods or providing transportation for medicines, medical supplies, and pandemic support personnel. Taking advantage of the low demand for flights, Mrs. Thao led the digital transformation at Vietjet Air, introducing many new features and payment solutions to enhance the customer experience. In the goal of rejuvenating the aircraft fleet, Vietjet Air negotiated with suppliers to adjust contracts for better delivery times and payment terms. At the end of 2021, Vietjet introduced wide-body aircraft into operation, meeting the recovery demand of the aviation industry as Vietnam and regional countries resumed tourism activities.

Tran Dinh Long is a formidable name in the business world. He is one of the influential figures in the Vietnamese steel industry, with his stock market influence rivaling billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong. For aspiring entrepreneurs, he is an inspiring icon to follow. Currently serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hoa Phat Group Joint Stock Company, within the industry, he is often referred to with the highly praised nickname, the Vietnamese Steel King.

Tran Dinh Long was born on February 22, 1961, in Hai Duong. From a young age, he was praised for being bright, intelligent, and eager to learn. As he matured, he set ambitious goals for himself. Starting with selling used goods, to possess a fortune in the billions as he does today, he faced numerous difficulties and challenges. Over decades, through careful planning and determination, he successfully built a mighty steel empire that spans across Vietnam. The products and business activities of Hoa Phat dominate a significant market share. From this point, he increasingly became a name that commands respect and admiration from every entrepreneur.

Ho Hung Anh was born in Hanoi, but his roots trace back to Thua Thien Hue province. In 1987, Mr. Hung Anh passed the entrance exam for the 22nd Military Technical Academy's Engineer Training Program. With outstanding academic achievements, he was honored to be selected by the Ministry of Defense to study military engineering abroad in the Soviet Union. However, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he switched to studying electronic engineering at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, Ukraine. He is the Chairman of Techcombank, a leading private bank and the second-largest bank in Vietnam to reach the milestone of one billion US dollars in profit (2021).

Alongside billionaire Nguyen Dang Quang, Hung Anh is one of the founding members of Masan Group. His business activities focus on finance, real estate, and financial technology. He leads One Mount Group, a digital ecosystem deploying technology solutions to transform traditional business models in distribution, real estate, and retail. One Mount aims to optimize benefits for the entire supply chain, from business partners (especially small and medium-sized enterprises) to end customers. Masterise Group, a real estate company led by Mr. Ho Hung Anh's relatives, is currently one of the dynamic project developers in the market. The Chairman of Techcombank has a decisive and hands-on leadership style. He is reserved with the media but embraces modern integration and management principles.

Entrepreneur Bui Thanh Nhon was born in 1958 in Long Khanh A commune, Hong Ngu district, Dong Thap province, in a large family. He is known as a prominent and wealthy figure in the real estate industry, but surprisingly, he has many years of experience in the veterinary medicine sector. Bui Thanh Nhon holds a bachelor's degree in agriculture and an Executive MBA from HSB - TUCK, Dartmouth College, USA.

Bui Thanh Nhon rose from being a veterinary engineer to the real estate tycoon leading the billion-dollar Novaland Group. He is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Novaland Corporation. In early 2022, Nhon stepped down from the position of Chairman of Novaland, the publicly listed real estate company, and retained the position of Chairman of NovaGroup, a private conglomerate that has restructured its operations with eight core business areas, ranging from real estate, agriculture to new business areas such as consumer goods, retail services, entertainment services, logistics, technology, and finance. Novaland is a key member of NovaGroup, listed on the stock market in 2016. The company is currently implementing several prominent projects: Aqua City, Nova World Phan Thiet, Nova World Ho Tram, and more. Novaland has announced ownership of a land bank of 10,555 hectares that can meet business needs in the next 5-7 years.

Business magnate Tran Ba Duong was born in 1960 in Hue but grew up in Da Lat in a family of 7 siblings. He is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Truong Hai Auto Corporation (THACO) since 1997. In addition, he is also known as the CEO of Dai Quang Minh Real Estate Investment Corporation. Duong is a creative person with a strong mechanical background. In his work, Chairman Truong Hai focuses on details and always maintains the idea of innovation. In Thaco, Duong's family owns direct and indirect shares through Tran Oanh company with a stake of over 60%.

In 2021, Truong Hai Group restructured its operations into six areas: automobiles – agriculture – real estate, construction – mechanics, support industries – logistics – trade and services. Currently, the automobile sector is the main business of this private conglomerate for more than two decades, involving assembly, import, distribution, and repair services for various brands such as KIA, Mazda, Peugeot, BMW, Foton, Mitsubishi Fuso. Truong Hai also manufactures and assembles buses and trucks under the Thaco brand with a localization rate of 35–45% for trucks and 60% for buses. Other notable business activities of Truong Hai include being the developer of the Sala project in Thu Thiem through Dai Quang Minh Real Estate, the investor of Chu Lai Economic Zone (Quang Nam). In 2021, the company acquired the Emart supermarket from a South Korean conglomerate to develop modern retail supermarkets.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Quang was born in 1963 in Quang Tri, and is one of the renowned entrepreneurs from Eastern Europe. He holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from the Applied Physics Department at the National Academy of Sciences in Belarus. Quang initially ventured into the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) business in Eastern Europe, starting with selling instant noodles to Vietnamese people living there. He later returned to Vietnam and founded Masan Group, subsequently investing in Techcombank.

Under Quang's leadership, Masan Food has evolved into Masan Group, operating in various sectors such as food and beverages (Masan Consumer Holdings), animal feed – meat processing (Masan Nutri-Science), and minerals (Masan Resources, focusing on the Nui Phao mine). As a self-made billionaire, the owner of Masan Group serves as a shining example, inspiring Vietnamese startups, especially young individuals eager to explore their limits and overcome challenges to achieve success. Additionally, he shares meaningful business philosophies and words of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs.