Achievement of Robert Kuok

1923, October 6: Robert Kuok Hock Nien was born in Johor Bahru, Johor, the youngest of 3 brothers.

Unknown: Robert Kuok studied at Raffles Institution Singapore.

1942-1945 (age 18-21): Upon graduation, Robert Kuok worked in the grains department of Mitsubishi, a Japanese industrial conglomerate Mitsubishi.

1948 (age 24): Robert Kuok's father died.

1949 (age 25): Robert Kuok and his 2 brothers founded Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd, trading in agricultural commodities. Under the new post-colonial government, Kuok started in the sugar business alongside the government.

1961 (age 37): Robert Kuok made a coup by buying cheap sugar from India before the prices shot up. He continued to invest heavily in sugar refineries, controlled 80% of the Malaysian sugar market with production of 1.5 million tonnes, equivalent to 10% of world production, and so earned his nickname "Sugar King of Asia".

 1971 (age 47): Robert Kuok built his first Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore.

1977 (age 53): Robert Kuok made his first foray into Hong Kong property, when he acquired a plot of land on the newly reclaimed Tsim Sha Tsui East waterfront. Here, he built his 2nd hotel, the Kowloon Shangri-La.

1985 November 22: Robert Kuok won the Golden Pyramid award that made him the Malaysian Entrepreneur for -1985. His son, Khoon Ean, received the award from Acting Prime Minister Datuk Musa Hitam on behalf of his father.

 1993 (age 69):

- Robert Kuok's Kerry Group acquired a 34.9% stake in the South China Morning Post from Murdoch's News Corporation.

-April 1: Robert Kuok officially retired from the Kerry Group and currently resides in Hong Kong.

2009, October 31 (age 86): Robert Kuok's PBB Group issued a statement Bursa Malaysia that it has decided to dispose of its sugar units, along with land used to cultivate sugarcane, to Felda for RM1.29 billion.

2010 (age 87): Robert Kuok delisted Allgreen Properties Singapore, and Jerneh Asia in Malaysia by buying back all shares.

2011 (age 88): Forbes valued Robert Kuok's personal wealth at US$12.4 billion, ranking him at No. 1 on the Forbes list of Malaysia's Richest.