Goh Cheng Liang

"Wu Qingliang" redirects here. For the actor, see Charlie Goh.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Goh.
Goh Cheng Liang
Born1927 (age 96–97)
Singapore, Straits Settlement
OccupationBusinessman
Known forFounder, Wuthelam Holdings
SpouseMarried
ChildrenGoh Hup Jin
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese吳清亮
Simplified Chinese吴清亮
Hanyu PinyinWú Qīngliàng

Goh Cheng Liang (born 1927) is a Singaporean billionaire businessman who founded Wuthelam Holdings, which manufactures paint and coatings.[1]

Early life

Goh Cheng Liang was born in Singapore.[2] He is the son of Wu Songchang and Li Xiuying.[3]

He grew up in poverty and sold fishnets and rubber tapper for income. After World War II, he began buying cheap paint from the British army which he turned into a local company.[4]

Career

He set up his first paint shop in Singapore in 1955, and became the main distributor there for Nippon Paint in 1962.[5] Wuthelam Holdings, which has interests in the paint business and property development, was founded in 1974 as a real estate concern.[1]

In 2020, his son Goh Hup Jin helped conclude a deal which enabled Wuthelam Holdings to formally take control of Nippon Paint.[4] The merger added approximately $3.8bn to his overall net worth.[6] According to Forbes, his net worth stands at $12.7 billion as of 2024, making him the second richest person in Singapore.[7]

Personal life

Goh Cheng Liang lives in Singapore.[2] His Goh Foundation has made large donations to several charitable causes.[8][9]

He has a son, Goh Hup Jin, who has been the chairman of Nippon Paint since March 2018 and runs their privately held joint venture, Nipsea.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Wong, Sterling (19 January 2015). "Raffles Hotel Job Helps Make Goh Cheng Liang Singapore's Richest". Bloomberg Billionaires. Bloomberg LLC. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Forbes profile: Goh Cheng Liang". Forbes. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  3. ^ "立邦漆背后的百亿富豪：从贫穷子弟到亚洲"油漆大王"的励志转身". Sina (in Chinese (China)). 27 April 2018.
  4. ^ a b Tan, Jessica. "Paints Tycoon Goh Cheng Liang Pulls Off A Master Stroke And Takes Control Of Nippon Paint". Forbes. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Our History". Nippon Paint SG. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  6. ^ Tan, Jessica. "Paints Tycoon Goh Cheng Liang Pulls Off A Master Stroke And Takes Control Of Nippon Paint". Forbes. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  7. ^ Ang, Prisca (3 April 2024). "Sons of late banker Wee Cho Yaw among world's new billionaires on Forbes list". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  8. ^ Lee, Hui Chieh. "$12m gift for leukaemia research" (PDF). National University Hospital Singapore. The Straits Times Singapore. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Goh Foundation Endowed Scholarship". Singapore Management University. Retrieved 6 June 2015.


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