Although his company is one of Singapore’s most recognisable name, few would have heard of his name before Monday. Despite his tremendous success, Mr Goh Cheng Liang, the founder of Nippon Paint Singapore, has been living under the rader for much of his life… until Bloomberg names him as the new richest man in Singapore on Monday. No one knew much about him prior to this (except a one-off interview in 1997, he has never spoken to the press) but thanks to the media exposure following the anoouncement, we now know that the richest man in this island started from a very humble beginning. Goh was born into a poor family and spent majority of his childhood living in a $3-a-month rented room together with six of his family members. He never had the opportunity to go to school and spent a few years selling fishing nets during the second world war. He later went on to work in a hardware store before finally having his first breakthrough in 1949. When the British Army auctioned surplus war supplies, Goh took a gamble and bought barrels of ‘rotten paint’. Using a chinese dictionary of chemicals, he went on to mix solvents, chemicals and started his own brand of paints caleed Pigeon. The following year, an import ban was implemented due to the Korean war and the ban landed Goh a whopping profit windfall. From selling fishing nets and owning just a few barrles of “rotten paint”, Goh now owns a cool US$8.2 billion. Using his two bare hands, he has managed to break the cycle of poverty and no longer need to squeze in a $3-a-month rented room with his family. Although he did not have a good start to life, Goh’s rags-to-riches transformation has shown one thing… It does not matter where you start. What matters most is where you end. You might not have rich parents or a good education background, but as long as you are willing to work for it… No walls are too high to climb, no rivers are too wide to cross and no dreams are too impossible to achieve. As Bill Gates aptly puts it “If you are born poor, it is not your mistake. If you die poor, it is your mistake”. So instead of complaining or giving excuses… Step up. Work hard. And be responsible for your own success. Useful? “Share” it so others will benefit as well. If you want to get more powerful and practical tips on business, marketing and entrepreneurship, click here --> bit.ly/1mp-fblp1
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:30:00 +0000
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