Ong Beng Seng

Ong was born in January 1946 in British North Borneo, which is modern-day Sabah.[1] When he was four years old, his family emigrated to Singapore. Ong Beng Seng has three brothers, Beng Huat, Beng Lim and Beng Min. His career began when he joined an insurance firm for ships. In 1975, he joined Kuo International, founded by businessman Peter Fu Yun Siak and there he met his later-to-be spouse, Christina.[2]

After beginning his trading career at Kuo International, Ong went on to found his own firm, Hotel Properties Limited. Today, he controls many businesses, including a few based in Bond Street in London, and his investments are worth tens of millions of dollars.[2] He is a well-established hotelier, having bought and built many hotels worldwide.[2] As the chairman of race promoter Singapore GP, Ong is credited with bringing Formula One racing to the country; the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, which was also the first F1 night race, was held in 2008.[3][4] On 14 July 2023, it was announced that he had been arrested in a potential corruption case related to Singapore's Minister of Transport S. Iswaran, with a notice of arrest issued for him by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).[5]

Ong lives in Singapore with his family. He is married to Christina Ong (née Fu), the daughter of a businessman; they have a daughter and a son.[2] A "glitzy figure in Singapore and abroad", Ong was described by Hilary Clarke of The Independent as "media shy" and "notoriously secretive". Despite that, he is known to be well-acquainted with many Hollywood celebrities.[2]

Ong's business approach is to "buy when rents and properties are cheap and sell when they are not."[2] Forbes estimates the net worth of Ong and his wife Christina Ong at $1.75 billion as of September 2022, making them the 24th richest people in Singapore.[6]