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Hype Malaysia
5 days ago
- Business
- Hype Malaysia
Singapore's Richest Man & Nippon Paint Billionaire Goh Cheng Liang Passes Away At 98
Listed as the richest Singaporean by Forbes in its 2025 annual list of global billionaires, Goh Cheng Liang was the founder of paint and coatings maker Wuthelam Group and held a majority stake in Japan's Nippon Paint Holdings. As of August, he had a net worth of SGD$16.8 billion (approximately RM55.2 billion). According to reports, the billionaire sadly passed away earlier this morning (Tuesday, 12th August) at the age of 98. His family issued a statement regarding his passing, saying they were by his side when he took his final breath. He is survived by three children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. 'He was a beacon of kindness and strength. We are very fortunate to have had him show us how to be good people – he taught us to live life with compassion and humility,' his eldest son, Goh Hup Jin, said in the statement. However, it was unclear whether the billionaire had been ill prior to his death, and his cause of death was not disclosed in the statement. His family mentioned that Goh Cheng Liang loved spending time with his grandchildren and enjoyed activities such as boating, fishing, eating good food and travelling. At the time of writing, there has been no update on his final resting place. Much like other success stories, Goh Cheng Liang grew up in poverty and spent the first 12 years of his life in a shophouse on River Valley Road with his parents and 4 siblings. After years of hard work, he set up his first paint shop in 1955 and became the main distributor for Nippon Paint, according to the brand's website. The rest, as they say, is history. We offer our deepest condolences to Goh Cheng Liang's family. May they have the strength to endure this challenging time, and may they continue to carry on his legacy. Sources: The Straits Times
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Goh Cheng Liang, Nippon paint billionaire and Singapore's richest, dies at 98
SINGAPORE: Goh Cheng Liang, the richest Singaporean according to Forbes' annual list of global billionaires for this year, died at the age of 98 today. The founder of the paint and coatings company Wuthelam Group "passed away this morning with family members by his side," according to the Straits Times. Goh held a majority stake in Japan's Nippon Paint Holdings and had an estimated net worth of US$13 billion (RM58.5 billion), Forbes reported. He grew up in a shophouse on River Valley Road with his parents and four siblings. In 1949, Goh launched his Pigeon Brand paint business, which later developed into a partnership with Nippon Paint, the world's fourth-largest paint manufacturer. He established Wuthelam Holdings in 1974 and expanded it into a global conglomerate. Wuthelam Group currently owns nearly 60 per cent of Nippon Paint Holdings. The family's other ventures included the former Liang Court and Mount Elizabeth Hospital, both of which Goh developed and later sold. A dedicated philanthropist, Goh funded medical research, particularly in cancer treatment, as well as bursaries and scholarships for underprivileged students, and donated to various welfare agencies. In 1995, with the help of the late Singapore President Wee Kim Wee, he set up the Goh Foundation to structure his philanthropic efforts. The Foundation contributed to the establishment of the National Cancer Centre Singapore and its expansion to include the Goh Cheng Liang Proton Therapy Centre. It also awarded grants supporting children's cancer research at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, the Viva Foundation, and the National University Hospital. Goh, a cancer survivor himself, championed research into better treatments for rheumatological and immunological conditions through the ARiSE programme at Singapore General Hospital. He also supported palliative care initiatives with the National Cancer Centre in collaboration with SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre. Beyond Singapore, Goh funded roads, clean water supplies, sanitation systems, and several schools in Dawu Village, his ancestral home in Chaozhou, China. He is survived by three children — Goh Hup Jin, Goh Chuen Jin, and Goh Chiat Jin — along with eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and enjoyed boating, fishing, fine food, and travelling. To family and friends, he was a humble and private man with a great sense of humour, according to the media release. His eldest son, Goh Hup Jin, described his father as "a beacon of kindness and strength." "We are very fortunate to have had him show us how to be a good person – he taught us to live life with compassion and humility," he said.
AsiaOne
5 days ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
Goh Cheng Liang, Nippon Paint billionaire and richest Singaporean, dies aged 98, Money News
SINGAPORE — Goh Cheng Liang, the richest Singaporean according to Forbes' annual list of global billionaires in 2025, died at the age of 98 on Aug 12. The founder of paint and coatings company Wuthelam Group "passed away this morning with family members by his side", according to a media release. Goh held a majority stake in Japan's Nippon Paint Holdings and had an estimated net worth of US$13 billion (S$16.7 billion), according to Forbes. He grew up in a shophouse in River Valley Road with his parents and four siblings. In 1949, Goh launched his Pigeon Brand paint business, which later evolved into a partnership with Nippon Paint, the world's fourth-largest paint maker. He founded Wuthelam Holdings in 1974 and built it into a global conglomerate. Wuthelam Group currently owns nearly 60 per cent of Nippon Paint Holdings. The family's other ventures included the former Liang Court and Mount Elizabeth Hospital, both of which Goh developed and later sold. Goh was also a philanthropist who funded medical research, particularly in cancer treatment, and provided bursaries and scholarships for underprivileged students, as well as donations to various welfare agencies. In 1995, with the late Singapore president Wee Kim Wee's help, he set up the Goh Foundation to provide a more structured approach to his philanthropic efforts. The Goh Foundation contributed to the establishment of the National Cancer Centre in Singapore and its subsequent expansion to include the Goh Cheng Liang Proton Therapy Centre. It also awarded grants to support children's cancer research at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, the Viva Foundation and the National University Hospital. Goh, who is a cancer survivor, championed research into better treatments for rheumatological and immunological conditions through the ARiSE programme at Singapore General Hospital. He also backed supportive and palliative care initiatives with the National Cancer Centre in collaboration with the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre. Beyond his contributions in Singapore, Goh also funded roads, clean water supplies, sanitation systems and several schools in Dawu Village, his ancestral home in Chaozhou, China. Goh is survived by three children, Goh Hup Jin, Goh Chuen Jin and Goh Chiat Jin, as well as eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His eldest son, Goh Hup Jin, said in a statement on Aug 12 that his father was "a beacon of kindness and strength". "We are very fortunate to have had him show us how to be a good person — he taught us to live life with compassion and humility," he said. [[nid:720592]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
