Oct 19 2006
An extract from business time on the casino tycoon … a down to earth businessman who should make it no matter where he is …i bet he’s gonna win this bid for the second resort in singapore … the 56-year-old chairman of the Genting Group is Malaysia’s 10th richest man with a net worth of US$440 million (RM1.6 billion) … and now, the chief of one of Asia’s most successful casino resort groups wants a slice of the casino pie in Singapore.
He is the favourite among three contenders who submitted their tender bid this week. The other two are Kerzner International and Eighth Wonder.
The group, which has US$1.5 billion (RM5.50 billion) in cash reserves and employs 40,000 employees in 17 countries, is also a global player in the less glamorous businesses of plantations, property, manufacturing, oil and gas.Lim, an engineer by training, said of his resort: “It’s going to be very imaginative. and yet it’s going to be something very deliverable.”What’s the point of having an out- of-this-world claim if you can’t deliver?”
“We can deliver the tourist numbers, the economic benefits, the employment. We hope to also make some money at the end of the day. And we’ll ask, “What do we do with the money?”
“I’m not going to invest it half a world away. It has to be in this half, and hopefully Singapore will play a central role.”
While he has never considered taking up Singapore citizenship, he will not stop his three sons, aged 21, 19 and 17, from doing so. They are studying in Britain.
His father’s weakness was congee, he said. “He would always insist on his congee. When we travelled with him overseas, the first thing he would do was to check out the Chinese restaurants.”When he is in Singapore, he leaves his bodyguards at home and goes out in search of hawker food. His favourite? Bak kut teh (my favorite too … ).
He may have a wine collection worth more than a million dollars, and original artworks by Picasso, Botero and Monet may hang on his walls, but Lim would have you believe a tycoon is just like anyone else.
“Where it makes a difference is I can afford not to work. Yet I enjoy my work so I don’t mind working hard. Most important, I enjoy my family, being able to provide for them, maybe spoil them a bit.”
He still flies economy if it suits his schedule better.As for the lavish lunch spread, he said it was because he had company.”I am not a fussy eater,” he said. “The hawker centres are my favourite.” …
can other tycoon in malaysia do the same – flies economy ?
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October 19th, 2006 by financetwitter
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I was told not even Economy Class but must be mid night one with the old day MAS has discount on discount if you travel in odd hour. 🙂