On 21 October 2026 the Forbes real-time list had 24 billionaires from Malaysia, with a combined net worth of $71 billion. That is 0.3% of the world total and puts Malaysia #31 of 77 countries on the list. On 19 January 2020 it was 12 billionaires and $56 billion (0.6% of the world).
The video shows the richest people one by one. This article looks at what the tiles cannot show: the whole list, where the money comes from, how the country total moved, and what the average billionaire looks like.
How concentrated is the wealth?
The richest person, Robert Kuok, holds $13 billion, or 18% of the national total. The top three together hold 37% and the top ten 73%. On the world list Robert Kuok is ranked #249.
The average billionaire from Malaysia had $4.7B in January 2020 and has $3.0B now, 37% less.
The number of people on the list grew from 12 to 24, so the increase in the total reflects both higher valuations and more people being listed.
Where the money comes from
Counting each person under the main industry Forbes gives, diversified is the largest source of wealth in Malaysia: $22 billion, or 30% of the total. It is followed by real estate (18%), finance and investments (15%).
No single sector dominates: the top three industries are close to each other.
How the total moved
The combined net worth of billionaires from Malaysia started at $56 billion in 2020, fell to $40 billion on 24 March 2020 and reached its highest point of $82 billion on 8 May 2026, when the list had 25 billionaires from Malaysia.
By 31 August 2026 (the last day of the country series) it was $78 billion, close to the peak.
The number of billionaires from Malaysia on the list ranged from 11 to 26 during this period. A person can enter or leave the list because the cut-off moves with the market, not only because their own wealth changes.
Biggest movers among the people in the video
Comparing 1 February 2020 with 21 October 2026, the largest relative gains were Jeffrey Cheah ($1.5B to $4.1B, +183%), Koon Poh Keong ($2.2B to $6.0B, +177%) and Teh Hong Piow ($5.4B to $5.5B, +3%).
The weakest development was Chen Lip Keong ($5.8B to $1.3B, -77%) and Kuan Kam Hon ($2.5B to $1.1B, -55%).
In absolute terms, Koon Poh Keong added the most: $3.8B.
Who the billionaires are
Of the 24 billionaires from Malaysia, 3 are women (12%). Ages are known for 4 of them; their average age is 53 and the median 54.
How to read the numbers
- Figures are Forbes estimates in current US dollars, taken from the real-time list. The source project states that it makes no claim to accuracy or completeness.
- A person is assigned to a country by citizenship, not by where they live. A family entry (marked “& family”) refers to the family fortune.
- Daily values are noisy because they follow stock prices, so the video steps through the data in half-month intervals and the chart above shows weekly values.
- The country series ends on 31 August 2026; the list used for the 21 October 2026 numbers is the latest one available.
Sources
Forbes real-time billionaires, compiled by komed3 (rtb-api on GitHub, MIT licence).
