Lim Goh Tong Biography

Genting was founded by Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, a Malaysian visionary who decided that it would be a good idea to build a casino/resort/ on top of some mountains. But before he got to do that, he was just another Chinese immigrant who came to Malaysia in search for a better life.
History Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong (February 28, 1918 – October 23, 2007) was well-known for wealth as Malaysian Chinese businessman. He was recognized for his vision and courage in converting Genting Highlands from an unfamiliar hilltop to one of the world's most successful casino resorts.
Genting History Lim Goh Tong The Founder of Genting Highlands - Tan Sri Dato Seri Lim Goh Tong was a prominent wealthy Malaysian Chinese businessman. He was renowned for his vision and courage in transforming Genting Highlands from an unexplored hilltop into one of the world's most successful casino resorts.
Lim Goh Tong is a deceased Malaysian-Chinese businessman and billionaire who is famous for his extraordinarily risky and successful development of gambling in Malaysia. He may not have much in the way of name recognition in the United States, but he played a pivotal role in developing gaming in Asia.

Mr Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong History Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong (February 28, 1918 – October 23, 2007) was well-known for wealth as Malaysian Chinese businessman. He was recognized for his vision and courage in converting Genting Highlands from an unfamiliar hilltop to one of the world's most successful casino resorts.

Lim Goh Tong Wikipedia

Lim was bornin the mountainous Anxi County in China's Fujian province. He was named afterthe parasol tree, considered auspicious among Chinese, by his maternalgrandfather, who hoped the name would bring him good fortune, Lim said in his2004 autobiography. Forbes in May put his wealth at $4.3 billion.

His father'sdeath forced Lim to leave school and start selling vegetable seeds to supporthis family at the age of 16. In 1937, he left China for British-controlledMalaya, as the country was then known, where he became a building contractor.

During theJapanese occupation of Malaya from 1941 to 1945, Lim survived on vegetablefarming and petty trading, before switching to dealing in hardware and scrapmetal trading, on which he started to build his fortune. Lim, who narrowlyescaped being killed by the Japanese during the occupation, said in hisbiography his brushes with death made him drive himself harder.

After theBritish returned to Malaya at the end of World War 2, Lim benefited from thepost-war reconstruction. He bought used machinery tendered after publicprojects were completed and sold them at higher prices.

Lim, whodidn't speak English and had no knowledge of engineering, also ventured intomining and construction. His experience ``and a little layman common sense'helped him succeed, he wrote in his autobiography.

Enjoying thecool mountain air of a hill station while working on a hydroelectric project in1963, Lim came up with the idea of building a hilltop resort nearerto Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur. The plan stunned friends and fellowcontractors, who warned Lim, then 45 and a successful businessman, against it.

He spentseven years developing Genting, laying a road and building a hotel on a1,800-meter (5,900-foot) hill outside the city. Failing to lure others to join,Lim invested all his money in the project without getting any returns in theseven years it took to build.

Lim hadsupport from the government of Malaysia, which gained independence from Britishrule in 1957. The Malaysian government permitted him to pursue the project andsubsidized the road. It also gave Genting a casino license, renewable everyquarter, and a six-year tax break for the resort business.

Duringconstruction, Lim almost lost his life at least six times from falling trees,driving mishaps and a landslide, according to his autobiography.

Genting,which means ((A top the clouds)) in Mandarin, is a complex of hotels, themedcasinos, amusement parks, shops and restaurants. The resort attracts more than18 million visitors a year.

``Besides beinga tremendous individual achievement, Lim's success in developing GentingHighlands from virgin jungle into a world-class resort reflects Malaysia'seconomic progress in the last four decades,(( former Malaysian PrimeMinister Mahathir Mohamad said in his foreword to the tycoon'sbiography. ``Even without the advantages of higher education, he has proventhat nothing is impossible.))

Lim marriedLee Kim Hua in 1944. They had three daughters, three sons and 19 grandchildren,according to his biography. His second son Lim Kok Thay, is Genting'schief executive officer.

Kok Thaysucceeded his father as president and CEO in 2002, before becoming chairman inDecember 2003. Genting needed to become a (global corporation,) Kok Thay saidwhen he replaced his father as chairman in 2003.

Oct. 23(Bloomberg) -- Lim Goh Tong, who built a hilltop casino in Malaysia andturned it into Asia's biggest publicly traded gaming company, died. He was 90.

The founderof Kuala Lumpur-based Genting Bhd. and Malaysia's third-richest person,died peacefully after a short illness.

Lim, whostarted out selling vegetable seeds in China, built Malaysia's only licensedcasino, risking his life and facing bankruptcy along the way. He created whatis now Malaysia's eighth-largest listed company, with interests ingaming, hotels and cruise lines from the U.K. to Hong Kong.

Lim Goh Tong is a deceased Malaysian-Chinese businessman and
billionaire who is famous for his extraordinarily risky and
successful development of gambling in Malaysia. He may not have
much in the way of name recognition in the United States, but he
played a pivotal role in developing gaming in Asia.

It’s hard to overstate how much of an influence Lim Goh Tong
had in Malaysia. He was recognized numerous times throughout his
life with rewards for entrepreneurship, business development and
excellent working conditions for his employees. When he passed
away in 2007, more than 20,000 people either attended his wake
or sent condolences to the family.

The Early Years: Hardship and War

Lim Goh Tong was born in the Fujian province in China in
1918. He grew up in a peaceful village that was mostly removed
from the political unrest that followed the Chinese Revolution
of 1911. He was able to attend school until his father died when
he was 16 years old.

The death of his father forced Tong to withdraw from school
so he could help provide for his mother and six siblings. He
stayed in China for three more years, but things continued to
deteriorate in China. At the age of 19, he left China for
Malaysia in search of new opportunities and a better place to
live.

There, he met his uncle and worked as a carpenter for several
years. He learned the language, acquired experience in
contracting and even took on several of his own jobs. Things
were looking up until Japan invaded Malaysia in 1941. Once
again, war would throw his life into turmoil.

Numerous biographical accounts state that Lim Goh Tong nearly
died several times during the invasion, but there are no details
regarding these experiences. But considering the brutality of
Japanese forces during WWII, this was a dangerous time in the
life of the young entrepreneur. The Japanese invasion began with
a bombardment and followed with troops physically invading
Malaysian land.

Lim Goh Tong Autobiography

Malaysian-Chinese people in Malaysia were subject to
especially harsh treatment. At the time, Japan was fighting a
brutal war with China that was marked with wide scale
bombardment of civilian targets in China, and atrocities such as
the Rape
of Nanking. Suspected Chinese sympathizers in Malaysia were
subject to imprisonment, interrogation, and torture.

So although we don’t have the details of Lim Goh Tong’s “near
death” experiences, we can assume life was not easy for him at
the time. He eked out a living as a vegetable farmer, and then
moved to trading. When Japanese forces finally left Malaysia,
the demand for scrap metal and machinery in Malaysia boomed.

Lim Goh Tong earned his first serious money during this time. He got
into trading used machinery, used the money from that, and
expanded into iron mining. He was then able to use his
significant capital, collection of machinery, experience in
mining, and the help of his uncle to get back into the
contracting business.

His contracting business was successful, and he earned larger
and larger contracts. As the name grew and his company received
national recognition for its work, Lim Goh Tong prospered. His
company was even tapped for major projects such as the Ayer Itam
Dam in Malaysia.

By the 1960s, Lim Goh Tong was a very wealthy man, but he
was just getting started.

The Genting Highlands

It was during a trip to the Cameron Highlands in Central
Malaysia that the idea for a hilltop resort hit Lim Goh Tong.
What he envisioned was a massive resort that would provide world
class gambling, accommodations, and a theme park. The resort
would be located in a beautiful area away from the hustle and
bustle of the city.

His plan was bold and risky; people told him it couldn’t be
done and that it shouldn’t be done. But he was determined to
implement his vision. He eventually settled on a piece of land a
little to the north of Kuala Lumpur. It would be called the
Genting Highlands Resort.

The area wasn’t the first place most would-be casino moguls
would settle on when planning to make a significant investment.
The area was remote, marked by a river, hills, and dense
vegetation. It would require a mammoth effort to even construct
the resort, let alone entice people to make the journey and
spend money there.

Lim Goh Tong Biography Yong

Ground broke on the project in 1965. Lim Goh Tong acquired
the land and gambling permits, and then set to work. The first
task was to construct an access road and get water, power, and
sewer access to the hilltop. It was estimated that the road
alone would take 15 years to construct. It was finished in less
than 4 years.

Lim Goh Tong devoted every bit of financial capital he had to
the project. He even tapped into the reserves of his successful
contracting company. Everything was put on the line to fund his
vision. He sold off land and invested every dollar he had. His
friends and family told him to reconsider. He came very close to
bankruptcy and it is said he nearly died several times
overseeing the construction.

Construction of the resort took a total of 6 years. He was
ready to open for business in 1971, but Malaysia was hit by
powerful rainstorms. Mudslides destroyed portions of the access
road. Undeterred, he rebuilt the roads over the next four
months. Finally, in May, 1971, the doors to the Genting
Highlands Resort were opened to the public.

As history has it, the resort was a massive success. Visitors
streamed to the Genting Highlands to gamble, sleep, and see the
sights. He earned back all of his investment and then some. Over
the next three decades, he would construct additional hotels,
restaurants, convention centers, and attractions. The resort
eventually became an international tourist destination and one
of the most popular things to do for those on vacation.

Over time, the Genting Group expanded into other industries
such as plantations, power generation, oil and gas exploration,
biotechnology and more. The Genting Group also operates
casino-resorts in other parts of the world to this day. The
company has invested in properties such as Foxwoods in the
United States and Resorts World in New York City.

Lim Goh Tong died as a billionaire on October 23rd, 2007. His
son now runs the Genting Group and continues to do business
around the world. Lim Goh Tong left behind a legacy not only for
success, but also for providing his workers with excellent
working conditions and contributing to the overall success of
Malaysia on the world stage.