Goh Cheng Liang Explained

Goh Cheng Liang
Birth Place:Singapore, Straits Settlement
Occupation:Businessman
Known For:Founder, Wuthelam Holdings
Spouse:Married
Children:Goh Hup Jin
Module:
Child:yes
Hide:no
Headercolor:lightblue
S:吴清亮
T:吳清亮
P:Wú 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.

In 2020, his son Goh Hup Jin helped conclude a deal which enabled Wuthelam Holdings to formally take control of Nippon Paint. 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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wong. Sterling. January 19, 2015. Raffles Hotel Job Helps Make Goh Cheng Liang Singapore's Richest. Bloomberg Billionaires. Bloomberg LLC. 6 June 2015.
  2. Web site: Forbes profile: Goh Cheng Liang. Forbes. 11 December 2020.
  3. Web site: 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 . zh-cn . 2018-04-27.
  4. Web site: Tan. Jessica. Paints Tycoon Goh Cheng Liang Pulls Off A Master Stroke And Takes Control Of Nippon Paint. 2021-09-02. Forbes. en.
  5. Web site: Our History. Nippon Paint SG. 17 January 2015.
  6. Web site: Tan. Jessica. Paints Tycoon Goh Cheng Liang Pulls Off A Master Stroke And Takes Control Of Nippon Paint. 2021-12-15. Forbes. en.
  7. News: Ang . Prisca . Sons of late banker Wee Cho Yaw among world’s new billionaires on Forbes list . 4 April 2024 . The Straits Times . Singapore Press Holdings . 3 April 2024 . en.
  8. Web site: Lee. Hui Chieh. $12m gift for leukaemia research. National University Hospital Singapore. The Straits Times Singapore. 6 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20130914192747/http://nuh.com.sg/wbn/slot/u1753/Patients%20and%20Visitors/Media%20Articles/Mar%2009/5th%20ST%20$12m.pdf. 14 September 2013. dead.
  9. Web site: Goh Foundation Endowed Scholarship. Singapore Management University. 6 June 2015.