Anthony Tan

Anthony Tan is Malaysia’s most transformative tech entrepreneur, having built Grab into Southeast Asia’s first super-app valued at $40 billion at its peak. Starting as a Harvard Business School case study, Grab now serves 180 million users across eight countries, eclipsing the user base of Lee Shin Cheng’s palm oil operations by a factor of ten. In 2024, Grab processed $30 billion in gross merchandise value, outperforming the regional average for ride-hailing competitors by 40%. Tan’s strategic pivot to financial services, including GXBank, boosted revenue by 25% year-over-year, cementing his lead over slower-diversifying peers. His family’s automotive distribution background provided early capital, but it was his data-driven approach to incorporating loans, food delivery, and payments that redefined Southeast Asian commerce.