Malaysia's 10 Richest

1. Robert Kuok $7.6 billion 84. Married, 8 children
Onetime rice and sugar trader heads multinational Kuok Group with interests ranging from shipping to real estate to media. Merging extensive Malaysian, Indonesian palm oil interests with Singapore's Wilmar International, already run by his nephew. Also has stake in Transmile Group, air cargo outfit that recently delayed filing its financial statements and announced special audit.

2. Ananda Krishnan $7.4 billion 69. Divorced, 3 children
In May announced plans to pay $5 billion to take his telecom company, Maxis, private. Capped off already busy year: After delays his Measat launched its third satellite in December. His satellite TV provider Astro launched a joint venture with India's Sun TV Group in April. Also signed joint venture with A&E Television Network.

3. Lim Goh Tong $4.3 billion 90. Married, 6 children
Former public works contractor built enormous gaming and resort empire. His First World Hotel has 6,200 rooms, earning it the Guinness World Record for world's largest hotel. Retired as chairman in 2003. Marked his 90th birthday this year with a 9-foot-tall granite statue at his Genting casino resort.

4. Lee Shin Cheng $3.9 billion 68. Married, 6 children
Former plantation field supervisor now heads IOI Group, one of world's leading operators of palm oil plantations, refineries. His plants produce specialty oils, metallic stearates, fats used in soaps, detergents, cosmetics, food additives. Leading real estate developer also building townships, shopping malls, resorts in Malaysia.

5. Teh Hong Piow $3.5 billion 77. Married, 4 children
Former bank clerk used profits from real estate deal to open bank in 1966. Today Public Bank has 13,400 employees, 240 branches, including 56 in Hong Kong, 1 in Shenzhen.

6. Quek Leng Chan $3 billion 66. Married, 3 children
Heads Hong Leong Group Malaysia, conglomerate involved in banking, semiconductor manufacturing, ceramic tile manufacturing, motorcycle distribution. Expected to start introducing casinos in selected Thistle Hotels, the U.K. luxury chain it owns.

7. Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary $2 billion 55. Married, 5 children
Former rice trader now controls Malaysia Mining Corporation (MMC); has stakes in Malaysia's Johor Port; country's largest independent power producer Malakoff; natural gas distributor Gas Malaysia. Donates to Islamic schools, mosques, arts.

8. Yeoh Tiong Lay $1.8 billion 77. Widowed, 7 children
Founded YTL Corp., one of Malaysia's largest conglomerates, with interests in construction, utilities, hotels, property development and technology. Recently proposed building $2.3 billion bullet train that would cover 200-mile journey between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in 90 minutes. Son Francis runs YTL's daily operations.

9. Tiong Hiew King $1.2 billion 71. Married, 3 children
His timber flagship, Rimbunan Hijau, celebrated 30th anniversary in 2006 by inaugurating 2 palm oil mills and 2 resorts in his native Sarawak and listing his Sarawak palm oil interests in Malaysia. Merging his three Chinese- language publishing firms in Malaysia (Nanyang Press Holdings and Sin Chew Media Corp.) and Hong Kong (Ming Pao Enterprises).

10. William Cheng $650 million 64. Married
Runs the Lion group, which has interests in plantations, steel, property. Though nicknamed "Steel King," biggest source of wealth his stake in Chinese retailer Parkson Retail, which he chairs. Married to former Chinese pop singer. Also known as Cheng Heng Jem.