The 2025 Forbes Singapore Rich List was released on September 4th. Eduardo Saverin secured the top position for the third consecutive year, recording the largest wealth increase on the list in dollar terms. Besides him, 40 other billionaires saw their fortunes grow. The Facebook co-founder, who has long resided in Singapore, saw his wealth surge by $14 billion to reach $43 billion, driven by artificial intelligence-powered advertising growth that significantly boosted Meta Platforms' stock price.
Real estate magnate Kwek Leng Beng and his family climbed two positions to second place, with their wealth growing 24% to $14.3 billion. This change primarily reflects newly disclosed family assets included in the rankings. Earlier this year, Kwek Leng Beng sued City Developments' CEO and his son Sherman Kwek, alleging improper appointment of new directors without due process, sparking widespread attention. However, the parties reconciled two weeks later, and Kwek Leng Beng withdrew the lawsuit.
Real estate brothers Robert & Philip Ng dropped to third place, with their combined wealth falling to $14.1 billion. Paint tycoon Goh Cheng Liang passed away in August at age 98, and his heirs debuted on the list at fourth place with $13.1 billion. In 2024, Nippon Paint Holdings, chaired by Goh's son Goh Hup Jin, acquired U.S. specialty chemicals manufacturer AOC, leading to strong stock performance with nearly 30% gains over the past year.
The three co-founders of New York-listed Sea Group were among those with significant wealth increases. In the second quarter, the group's digital entertainment, e-commerce, and fintech divisions all posted revenue growth, boosting the trio's fortunes. Group Chairman and CEO Li Xiaodong rose six positions to sixth place with $11.2 billion; Chief Operating Officer Gang Ye reached $6 billion, ranking 13th; and Shopee Chief Product Officer David Chen jumped 22 positions to 28th place with $2 billion.
Espressif Systems founder and CEO Teo Swee Ann returned to the list after a three-year absence. The Shanghai-listed company produces chips widely used in industrial automation, wearable devices, and other sectors, achieving record profits in 2024. Pan-United's Henry Ng and his siblings also returned after seven years away, as the cement manufacturer's stock more than doubled following the launch of low-carbon products and AI-optimized operations.
Due to the minimum net worth threshold rising from $870 million to a record $1 billion, two billionaires from last year's list were excluded this year.