20ntrepreneur successful in Malaysia

1. Robert Kuok

Net Worth $12 billionAge 86Marital Status Married, 8 childrenSource diversified

Biggest dollar gainer, up $3 billion. Stock of most valuable holding, palm oil outfit Wilmar International, run by nephew, rose 46% in past year but dropped more than 10% in the days after net worths were locked in, following allegations in the media that Indonesian subsidiaries were being scrutinized for obtaining fraudulent tax refunds. The company said it was confident that there is no case. Kuok recently sold several assets including sugar businesses, stake in Jerneh Insurance, prime land in Kuala Lumpur. Reportedly spends most of his time in Hong Kong.

2. Ananda Krishnan

Net Worth $8.1 billionAge 72Marital Status Married, 3 childrenSource telecom

Former oil trader's most valuable asset is Maxis Communications, nation's largest cellphone service provider, which went public in November, raising $3.4 billion in Malaysia's largest-ever IPO. His telecom interests in Indonesia and India still privately held. Plans to take his satellite TV broadcaster, Astro All Asia Networks, private. Reportedly mulling listing of shipping arm Bumi Aramada. Sold interest in property firm Overseas Union Enterprise to partner, Indonesia's Lippo Group.

3. Lee Shin Cheng

Net Worth $4.6 billionAge 71Marital Status Married, 6 childrenSource palm oil

Heads IOI Group, one of world's leading operators of palm oil refineries. Reportedly investing $300 million to expand.

4. Lee Kim Hua

Net Worth $3.9 billionAge 81Marital Status Widow, 6 childrenSource gaming

Widow of casino magnate Lim Goh Tong. Net worth up $1.4 billion as stocks of family's Genting and Genting Hong Kong (previously named Star Cruises) both rose nearly 50% in the past year.

5. Quek Leng Chan

Net Worth $3.85 billionAge 69Marital Status Married, 3 childrenSource diversified

His most valuable asset is his Hong Kong-listed Guoco Group. His Hong Leong Bank is bidding for EON Capital, Malaysia's seventh-largest bank; board just voted to recommend deal to shareholders. Took Hume Industries—cement, concrete, steel company—private this year. Recently paid $14 million for a penthouse in Singapore.

6. Teh Hong Piow

Net Worth $3.8 billionAge 80Marital Status Married, 4 childrenSource banking

Former bank clerk founded Public Bank in 1966 with profits from real estate deal; now nation's third-largest banking group. Also has operations in Cambodia, China, Vietnam, Laos and Sri Lanka. Teh underwent minor surgery in 2009 and is back at work.

7. Yeoh Tiong Lay

Net Worth $2.5 billionAge 80Marital Status Married, 7 childrenSource diversified

Founder of YTL Corp., one of Malaysia's largest conglomerates. Group recently took full control, from Australia's Macquarie Group, of Starhill Global REIT, which owns retail properties in Malaysia and Singapore. Also owns PowerSeraya, Singapore's second-largest power generator. Eldest son, Francis, has run operations for over 2 decades.

8. Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary

Net Worth $1.7 billionAge 58Marital Status Married, 5 childrenSource diversified

Former rice trader gets bulk of fortune from Malaysia Mining Corp. (MMC), through which he holds concessions to operate a port and an airport in Johor; owns stake in power producer Malakoff. Through listed Tradewinds, recently took over national rice supplier Padiberas Nasional. Owns Harrods in Malaysia. Sponsors the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia.

9. Vincent Tan

Net Worth $1.6 billionAge 58Marital Status Married, 11 childrenSource diversified

His Berjaya Group operates Wendy's, Starbucks, Papa John's Pizza in Malaysia; water, sewage treatment and landfills in Malaysia, Indonesia and China; develops properties in Vietnam, Japan. Bought social networking website Friendster.com; also a U.K. soccer team. Selling his stake in Ascot Sports, which was recently reissued its betting license, to his publicly traded Berjaya Sports for $160 million.

10. Tiong Hiew King

Net Worth $1.2 billionAge 75Marital Status Married, 4 childrenSource timber

His Rimbunan Hijau has interests in palm oil, timber and property in Malaysia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Owns Media Chinese International, with 6 dailies and 30 magazines in North America, Southeast Asia and China. Pending shareholder approval, will sell his stake in EON Capital, one of Malaysia's smallest banks, to Quek Leng Chan's Hong Leong Bank.

11. Azman Hashim (Ambank)

A horrible car accident almost wrecked his life, but Tan Sri Azman’s never-say-die attitude eventually rewarded him with larger than life achievements. With good academic background in accounting field, Azman was quick to maneuver his career along the corporate path, joining several established corporations in the process. Since acquiring Arab Malaysian Bank (now Ambank), Azman is credited for his effort to transform a relatively unkown bank into one of the largest financial institutions in the country.

12. Lee Oi Hian & Lee Hau Hian

Net Worth $560 millionAge 59/56 Marital Status Married, 4 children/Married, 1 child Source diversified

Siblings inherited control of Batu Kawan, with interests in palm oil and chemicals, from late father. Younger brother is group's managing director. Older brother is nonexecutive chairman and also chief executive of its listed subsidiary, Kuala Lumpur Kepong, which owns personal care products maker Crabtree & Evelyn.

13. Yaw Teck Seng & Yaw Chee Ming

Net Worth $480 millionAge 72/50 Marital Status Married, 8 children/Married Source forestry

Father founded forestry group Samling almost half a century ago. Eldest son, Yaw Chee Ming, runs group, which owns 3 million hectares in China, New Zealand, Australia, Guyana; produces logs, plywood, veneer. Fortune includes only holdings of these 2 Yaws; another son Yaw Chee Siew runs Singapore's Otto Marine and will be included among its richest.

14. Lim Wee Chai

Net Worth $470 millionAge 52 Marital Status Married, 2 children Source rubber gloves

His Top Glove is world's largest producer of rubber gloves by capacity; its stock more than doubled in past year despite rising raw material costs.

Tan Sri Dato Sri Lim Wee-Chai is a Malaysian entrepreneur. He was appointed as the Chairman of Top Glove Corporation Berhad on 4th. September 2000. He is the Founder of Top Glove Corporation Berhad which was established in 1991 and listed on the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 27th. March 2001.

Tan Sri Dato Sri Lim Lim was the Sales Manager of a subsidiary company of OYL Industries bhd. In 1991, he set up Top Glove Sdn. Bhd, his own glove manufacturing and trading business with only three (3) production lines and has expanded the business to be the world's largest Rubber Glove Manufacturer with 355 production lines in nineteen (19) glove factories based in Malaysia, Thailand and China. He has worked for over 20 years in the rubber and latex manufacturing industry.

15. William H. J. Cheng (Lion Diversified Holdings Berhad)

Net Worth $430 millionAge 67 Marital Status Married, 3 children Source retail

Head of diversified Lion Group upped his stake in his most valuable holding, Parkson, retailer he heads with department stores in 26 cities in China. Expanding in Vietnam; plans to open stores in Cambodia and Indonesia by late next year. Married to former Chinese pop singer.

16. Goh Peng Ooi

Net Worth $425 millionAge 55 Marital Status Married, 2 children Source software

Former IBM employee founded Silverlake Axis, which provides banking and financial services software, in 1989. Sold 2 of his privately owned affiliates to company in March in $200 million stock deal, which boosted his stake in firm to 95%.

17. Lim Kok Thay

Net Worth $360 millionAge 58 Marital Status Married, 3 children Source gaming

Son of Lee Kim Hua (No. 4), has run family's leisure, casino group Genting since 2003. This year opened resort complex on Singapore's Sentosa Island; so far has 4 hotels, a Universal Studios theme park and a casino. Group also biggest casino operator in U.K.

18. Jeffrey Cheah

Net Worth $350 millionAge 65 Marital Status Married, 3 children Source real estate

Chairs Sunway Group, conglomerate with hotel, education, health care, infrastructure interests. Its property developer, Sunway City, codeveloping nearly 100 acres in eco-city in Tianjin, China. A Caribbean subsidiary was recently awarded a reported $300 million contract for a government building in Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

19. Anthony Fernandes

Net Worth $330 millionAge 46 Marital Status Married, 2 children Source airlines

Head of AirAsia, region's largest budget airline. Its 49%-owned affiliate, Thai AirAsia, likely to go public. He also runs long-haul discount airline AirAsia X, which added routes to India and Korea this past year. Attempting to enter Vietnam through a joint venture with a local airline. Started mobile service Tune Talks in 2009. Has stake in Lotus Racing, Malaysia's F1 team that started last year.

20. G. Gnanalingam

Net Worth $320 millionAge 65 Marital Status Married, 3 children Source port

Cofounder of port operator Westports Malaysia. Also has stakes in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, developer of city's transit hub; Pelikan International, which sells writing instruments; logistics firm, Konsortium Logistik. Has offered to take over financially troubled Maika Holdings, investment arm of political party, Malaysian Indian Congress.