Lee Shin Cheng

Lee Shin Cheng built IOI Corporation into a Fortune 500 palm oil leader valued at $12 billion, supplying 5% of the world’s palm oil through 200,000 hectares of plantations. This scale positions him ahead of #5 Anthony Tan’s Grab in asset-heavy industries, as IOI processed 10 million metric tons of crude palm oil in 2025—50% more than the average global producer. Lee’s early shift to oleochemicals for cosmetics and food manufacturing boosted profit margins to 25%, outperforming the industry benchmark of 18%. IOI Properties’ developments in suburban Kuala Lumpur added $3 billion in property sales, reshaping an area that saw 30% population growth in a decade. However, sustainability pressures forced a $500 million investment in RSPO-certified operations, cutting carbon emissions by 40% since 2020, a move that lagged behind #8 Lim Kok Thay’s solar-powered resorts.