Editor’s Sidelines, June 2021: Rising To The Top

This month’s Korea’s 50 Richest list is historic. For the first time since its launch in 2005, the No. 1 spot is held by an entrepreneur with a self-made fortune: Seo Jung-jin, cofounder of pharmaceutical firm Celltrion. Joining him in the top ten are four others who built their wealth within one lifetime from relatively nothing. In contrast, many others on the list, though they may have added significant value to their companies, started with the advantage of inherited wealth.  

Malaysia is a variation of that theme. While the top ten richest have long been a mix of self-made and inherited wealth, this elite group doesn’t change much—Robert Kuok was No. 1 in the first list of 2006 and today. Ananda Krishnan was No. 2 and now No. 4 (both self-made tycoons). Thus it’s refreshing to see the ranking of Koon Poh…