With assets worth 4.6 billion USD, Richard Chandler is currently Singapore's 4th-richest person.
Recently, Singapore's Orchid Fund attracted considerable attention by becoming FPT's largest shareholder with nearly 10% of its shares and nominating a representative to its Board.
However, FPT is not Orchid Fund's largest investment in Vietnam. The fund also holds 20 million MSN shares, equivalent to 3.9% of Masan Group, worth over 2,200 billion đồng, or 100 million USD.
Meanwhile, the investment in FPT is worth only just over 1,300 billion đồng, equivalent to around 65 million USD. The FPT investment began in mid-2011, while Orchid Fund bought MSN in 10/2010.
The MSN investment is delivering a “large profit,” with an investment cost of just 49,000 VND/share while MSN's current market price is nearly 120,000 VND/share.
Although Orchid has not invested much in Vietnam, each time it disburses funds, the investment is very large.
So Where Did This Fund Come From?
Orchid Fund is an investment fund wholly owned by Richard Chandler Corporation, the Singapore-based investment group of New Zealand-born billionaire Richard Chandler.
According to Forbes in 3/2012, this 53-year-old billionaire currently has a fortune of 4,6 billion USD, making him the world's 230th-richest person. He is the 2nd-richest New Zealand citizen and among Singapore's top 4 wealthiest people.
Compared with a year earlier, Richard Chandler’s wealth increased by USD 600 million.
Inheriting the family business
In 1972, Robert R. Chandler opened a department store called Chandler House in Hamilton. His two sons, Richard and Christopher Chandler, later took over the business from their father.
Richard officially became CEO of Chandler House at just 24.
Four years later, the 2 brothers had expanded into fashion design, production, and a retail distribution system comprising 10 warehouses and 4 offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Their workforce had grown to 200 people.
The year 1986 marked a major shift in business objectives when the 2 brothers, Richard and Christopher, began focusing on capital investment. They closed their growing trading company to establish the Sovereign Global fund. Their earlier years of hard work had given both of the 2 valuable experience as they entered a larger, global arena.
From then on, Sovereign Global began taking part in many major investments, including Hong Kong property in 1987 after the property and financial bubble burst in this special economic zone. Richard chose the right time to invest as the market showed its first signs of recovery. This was followed by investments in Brazil in 1991 during hyperinflation and in rebuilding Russia's market in 1994 as it shifted toward a market economy.
This was followed by major investments in the banking systems of Japan and India and in South Korea's corporate management systems.
The year 2006 was significant: the 2 Chandler brothers had irreconcilable differences and split Sovereign Global into 2 separate parts. Richard took responsibility for investments in Asian countries and established the Oriented Global investment fund, headquartered in Singapore.
In 2010, more than 100 years after his grandfather founded advertising company Chandler & Co, Richard officially renamed Oriented Global as Richard Chandler Corporation.
An investment style always focused on the future
The business typically focuses its investments on economies that play an important role in the world market. There, it continues to look for companies with scale and far-reaching strategies, as well as pivotal roles in their industries. It does not regard owning many shares as the key to investing, instead focusing more on the quality of business operations. It is therefore very interested in companies with clear competitive advantages and sound strategies.
Richard Chandler affirms, “Our business goal is to help build a better world for the future.” They always use future-oriented criteria to classify and assess businesses and economies. Businesses seeking their attention must truly demonstrate long-term aspirations and the value they can bring.
Besides highly profitable investments, Richard Chandler Corporation established an investment group called Ground Business Group to focus on human resources, including education and health. Ground Business Group comprises 3 project components: Rumi Education, Viva Healthcare, and Newton International.
Thái Dương
According to Trí Thức Trẻ
