Forbes just released its 2025 list of Singapore’s 50 Richest on Thursday (Sept 4), and it’s a sign that the rich are getting richer.
The tiny city-state’s wealthiest saw their collective wealth soar by over 23% to US$239 billion (S$308.01 billion) from US$195 billion in 2024.
Forbes attributed the Republic’s better-than-expected economic growth of 4.3% in the first half of 2025 to an export overdrive amid tariff-related uncertainties.
Singapore’s 50 Richest include Eduardo Saverin, Kwek Leng Beng, and Ng Brothers
Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Meta Platforms, holds onto his title as the top dollar gainer for the third consecutive year with a net worth of US$43 billion.
The Singapore permanent resident’s wealth leapt more than threefold from US$14 billion in 2024, driven by an artificial intelligence-fuelled advertising jump that spurred shares of Meta to surge.
Coming in second are real estate magnate Kwek Leng Beng of City Developments Limited and his family, who rose two spots as the family’s fortune climbed 24% to US$14.3 billion, according to new information about the clan’s holdings.
In third place are property brothers Robert and Philip Ng, who are sons of the late Far East Organisation founder Ng Teng Fong. The duo’s combined wealth declined to US$14.1 billion from US$14.4 billion after the property downturn in Hong Kong, causing them to slip from second place in 2024.
Newcomers
The Goh Family—heirs of the late paint tycoon Goh Cheng Liang, who was named the richest Singaporean in Forbes’ annual list of global billionaires released in April—debuted on the list at fourth place with a US$13.1 billion fortune.
Shares of Nippon Paint Holdings, which is chaired by his son Goh Hup Jin, have risen nearly 30% from a year ago after the company’s acquisition of US specialty chemicals maker AOC in 2024.
Returnees
Two names returned to the list after a hiatus. Teo Swee Ann, who ranked 37th place with US$1.5 billion, is the founder and CEO of Shanghai-listed Espressif Systems and rejoined after three years when the chipmaker posted record profits in 2024.
Henry Ng and his siblings, who control Pan-United, made a comeback after seven years, ranking last on the list with US$1 billion—as shares of the concrete producer more than doubled due to its low-carbon products and AI-optimised operations.
Absentees and drop-outs
So, who are these new names replacing?
Saurabh Mittal, the co-founder of Indiabulls Group, and the Wong brothers—Charles, Keith and Kelvin—of fashion label Charles & Keith didn’t manage to retain their spots on the list this year.
Honourable mentions
Three individuals linked to US-listed Sea Ltd saw a significant boost in wealth, as the internet company they co-founded saw a 418.3% increase in its second-quarter earnings to US$414.2 million, a leap from US$79.9 million a year earlier. In Aug 2025, Sea’s stock jumped 19% in a day, giving them a market cap of US$103 billion.
Sea chairman and CEO Forrest Li jumped six spots to sixth place with US$11.2 billion in wealth. Chief Operating Officer (COO) Gang Ye moved up to 13th place with US$6 billion, while David Chen, the Chief Product Officer of Shopee, surged 22 places to 28th place with US$2 billion.
The minimum net worth to make the list increased to a record US$1 billion from US$870 million in 2024.
The latest list is a snapshot of wealth using stock prices and exchange rates as at market close on Aug 15, 2025.
- Learn more about Forbes Singapore’s 50 Richest list here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about billionaires here.
Featured Image Credit: Forbes & Tatler Asia
