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10 Ten Interesting Facts about Robert Kuok

Robert Kuok is a billionaire businessman who origin from Malaysia. His success has made him famous way beyond his Home town. He is ranked as the richest man in Malaysia and the owner of the Kuok Group.This article shares interesting facts about the successful businessman, Robert Kuok.

1 He is the youngest in his family

Robert was born on 6^th October 1923 in Jonor Blurh to parents Kuok eng Kang and mother Zheng Ge Ru. He has 3 brothers, William is the firstborn, Philip is the second born, and then Robert the third born. His father was Chinese and arrived in Malaysia from Fujin. He grew up speaking the Chinese Fuzhou dialect, English and Japanese during japans wartime.

2 He is a Mummy’s Boy

Robert has always been close to his mother even before her death. He says that there were times when he was so clingy to his mother that she noticed and decided to always tag him along when she went out to visit her friends or relatives.

He and his brothers were close to their loving mother because of the ever-absent father. His relationship with his father makes him sad today. Kuok says his father neglected them and so it was only natural for them to be close to their mother.

3 Named after Robert the Bruce of Scotland

Roberts’s father who was also a successful businessman didn’t know how to communicate in English and he felt like this was a major shortcoming in his business career and so He decided to take his three boys to the same English school, The Covent Girls School. The nuns required the boys to have English names and therefore Roberts’s father requested his English-speaking clerk to choose names for his sons.

The clerk said “Okay, let’s name Hock khee Philip, after King Philip of Spain. Let’s call Hock Ling William, after William the conqueror and Hock Nien, Robert after Robert the Bruce of Scotland” and that’s how Hock Nien became Robert at an early age.

4 He is a media-shy person

As hard as it is to believe, Robert is media shy. He conducts most of his businesses privately. The meetings are either held by him or his family. Apart from the multitude of businesses in Malaysia his family also has invested in different companies including Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Mainland China, Indonesia, Fiji, and Australia. With his influence and success, it’s truly interesting and difficult to believe that Kuok is a media-shy person.

5 Sugar King of Asia was his nickname

The name sugar cane king cane was a boy when Robert bought sugar from India before the prices shot up and continued to invest in sugar companies. Even though he first started his business trading rice, and wheat He thought that sugar was also important.

At 38 he earned the name Malaysian Sugar king, 2 years later after his company controlled 80 per cent of the local sugar trade and 10 per cent of the whole world’s sugar business, He levelled up and earned the name “Sugar King Of Asia”.

6 He was a classmate of Lee Kuan Yew

Kuok Studied at Raffle school which is an independent educational institution in Singapore. It’s one of the oldest schools in the county. During his studying years, it’s when he became classmates with Lee Kuan.

Lee Kuan was a Singaporean statesman and Barrister who served as Prime minister of Singapore between1959 1990. Lee was widely recognised as the nation’s founding father before his death in 2015. He also served as a Secretary-General of The People’s Action Party between 1954 and 1992 and He was the Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar from 1954 to his death.

7 He is the worst enemy

Robert takes insults seriously. Growing up, he felt ignored by most of the people around him. Therefore insults to his physical being, mental being and to his pride sink so deep in his mind. Robert says it’s hard for him to shake insults off and that’s why he makes a very bad enemy.

From early on he developed this strong anger which later on propelled him forward in life. He always wanted to prove to others that he can do it.

8 Began his career as an office boy

According to Robert, he began his career in business as an office boy. During the Japanese occupation period, he worked as a clerk in the rice trading department at Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha. This was after his graduation.

He was soon promoted because he was a first learner and now he was heading the trading department of rice. After the war, the skills he had earned went straight to his family business in Johor. After his father’s death, kuok together with his brothers and a cousin founded Kuok Brothers Sdn Bh in 1949. They traded agricultural commodities.

9 He is also active in politics

Despite being a successful businessman, he is also active in politics. His political influence is seen when he is selected as one of the Hong Kong Affairs Advisers in the run-up to the transfer of Sovereignty of Hong Kong and in minority take in CITIC Specific. He was instrumental in passing information and setting up meetings which led to full diplomatic cross recognition of Malaysia and the Chinese government.

Also in the aftermath of the 2018 Malaysian general Election, Kuok was appointed as one of the five members of the Council of Eminent Persons.

10 He was married twice

Kuok had to pay a heavy price for his success. During his travels to grow his business he spent less time with his family and five children. Spending more time in hotels and conducting a meeting in Malaysia and Singapore and before he knew it he had developed feelings for a young woman Paulin Ho Po. Kuok is married to Joyce Cheah and Pauline Ho Poh Lin. He has eight children out of the marriages. His son,kuok  Khoon Ean born in 1955 married Kuok Cheng Sui and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Kuok says that his first wife Joyce helped shape his life and is one of the most non-judgmental person he knows.