CERITA JUTAWAN BESI
« on: June 25, 2008, 03:50:18 PM »
Jatuh bangun jutawan besi
Oleh DALIZA ARIFFIN
(WARTAWAN UTUSAN)
''MALAYSIA adalah tanah air saya, saya akan tinggal dan mati di sini.''
Kata-kata itu diluahkan oleh bekas Pengarah Urusan Perwaja Steel Sdn. Bhd. Tan Sri Eric Chia selepas Mahkamah Sesyen membebaskannya daripada tuduhan melakukan pecah amanah bernilai RM76.4 juta, 26 Jun tahun lalu. Tiada siapa menyangka selepas hampir setahun luahan itu dilontarkan, anak kelahiran Singapura itu meninggal dunia di hotel miliknya, Hotel Park Avenue pada pukul 9 pagi akibat sakit tua. Sememangnya berita kematian taikun terkenal itu mengejutkan banyak pihak kerana selepas daripada tarikh pembebasannya, mendiang terus menyepikan diri. Eric Chia Eng Hock, 75, yang kali terakhir mendapat liputan akhbar di Mahkamah Sesyen Kuala Lumpur seolah-olah mengasingkan diri daripada masyarakat dan menjadikan Hotel Park Avenue tempat beliau menghabiskan sisa-sisa hidupnya.
Mendiang ketika ditanya mengenai tuduhan melakukan pecah amanah yang dikenakan ke atasnya mengakui kesannya amat besar dan berat untuk ditanggung. Paling menyedihkan ialah keruntuhan keluarganya apabila anak-anak mendiang mengambil keputusan berhijrah ke luar negara kerana tidak sanggup menanggung malu. Malah pemergian ahli perniagaan yang menubuhkan United Motor Works atau UMW (M) Sdn. Bhd. (UMW), ketika berusia 23 tahun itu juga akan membawa segala keperitan yang dialaminya tatkala menghadapi tuduhan pecah amanah juga derita disisih oleh ayah kandungnya sewaktu masih kecil. Meskipun dilahirkan di dalam dulang emas tetapi mendiang Chia tidak menikmati kasih sayang daripada bapanya yang ketika itu terkenal sebagai lelaki ketiga paling kaya di Singapura. Bapa mendiang ketika itu memiliki UMW Singapura dan Thailand, namun kekayaannya itu tidak dalam erti kata berkongsi kasih sayang dengan Chia.
Akibat tidak dapat menahan penderitaan disisih oleh bapa sendiri sehingga nyawanya nyaris-nyaris melayang akibat tindakan ibu tirinya memberikan pau berisi jarum, Chia nekad meninggalkan ibu dan lima adiknya. ''Aku sumpah engkau, Singapura. Aku tidak akan kembali selagi kocek aku tiada RM1 juta,'' sumpah mendiang sejurus tiba di Pantai Lido, Johor, selepas berjalan kaki melintasi Selat Tebrau dengan hanya berbekalkan RM5 daripada ibu kandungnya dan satu salinan pakaian dalam satu beg plastik kecil. Bermula dari situ, ahli perniagaan tersebut meneruskan kehidupan baru yang benar-benar menguji kesabarannya sehingga pernah seketika terpaksa mencari makanan daripada tong sampah. Itu ranjau hidupnya ketika melewati usia remaja tetapi dengan bakat besar yang dimilikinya itu, beliau membuka kedai menjual alat ganti basikal berdasarkan pengalamannya bekerja sebagai pembantu sebuah kedai basikal selama dua tahun di Seremban.
Kegigihan itu terus membawa beliau mengembangkan UMW sehingga berjaya disenaraikan di bursa saham pada tahun 1971. Menariknya, beliau pernah menerima pakaian perisai 'Samurai' sebagai mengiktiraf kebijaksanaannya dalam bidang perniagaan oleh syarikat pembinaan Jepun, Komatsu. Kemudian mendiang ditawarkan untuk memulihkan Perwaja Terengganu Sdn. Bhd., tetapi menolaknya pada awalnya dengan alasan tidak pernah terbabit dalam industri berat sebelum ini. Akhirnya, tawaran itu diterima setelah dipujuk oleh rakan baiknya yang juga bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Pada Jun 1988, Chia dilantik sebagai Pengarah Urusan Perwaja Terengganu dan mendiang diberi tempoh enam bulan untuk melihat masalah yang menyebabkan syarikat tersebut tidak berdaya maju.
Ketika itu mendiang menerima gaji bulanan sebanyak RM72,000 dari UMW. Ketika menjawat jawatan tersebut, mendiang pernah diugut oleh samseng yang menuduh beliau pembelot terhadap bangsanya sendiri kerana sanggup membantu sebuah syarikat bumiputera. Namun segala cabaran itu dihadapinya bersandarkan kepada pengalaman yang lebih perit pernah dilalui dalam sejarah hidupnya. Seperti mendapat 'sentuhan ajaib', syarikat baru, Perwaja Steel ditubuhkan dengan memiliki pelan pembangunan selama 10 tahun mencatatkan keuntungan pertama pada tahun 1991. Sejak itu, nama mendiang terkenal di seluruh negara. Sebut sahaja nama Eric Chia, orang pasti akan mengaitkannya dengan Perwaja malah sehingga sekarang keduaduanya amat sinonim. Itu bukan kejayaan pertama mendiang dalam usaha memulihkan syarikat dan agensi-agensi lain. Mendiang pernah terbabit dalam syarikat konglomerat, Hicom dan memainkan peranan pentingnya dalam rundingan dengan Mitsubishi ketika kereta Proton Saga mula diperkenalkan.
Lebih menarik lagi, Chia adalah antara orang terpenting berada di Jambatan Pulau Pinang ketika perasmian kereta kebanggaan negara itu bersama Dr. Mahathir.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Jutawan ‘Low Profile’ dan Pemilik Karangkraf
kisah Datuk Husammuddin Yaacob…jutawan ‘low profile’ dan pemilik Karangkraf
malam tadi aku melihat dalam siaran berita mengenai lawatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ke Kumpulan Karangkraf sekaligus merasmikan akhbar Sinar Harian edisi Nasional terbitan kumpulan berkenaan
ia sekali gus mengimbau kenangan kira-kira dua tahun dulu sewaktu aku bertugas di akhbar berkenaan, ketika itu Sinar Harian baru ‘menapak’ ke Selangor
semasa di Sinar Harian, aku memegang jawatan Penyunting Kanan sekaligus mengetuai Meja Jenayah dan Laporan Khas
dalam entry ini, aku nak cerita mengenai ketabahan bos yang juga pemilik Karangkraf itu sendiri iaitu Datuk Husammuddin Yaacob
walaupun telah lama bergelar jutawan, namun beliau cukup ‘low profile’, bahkan aku tak terkejut pun kalau korang tak kenal atau tak pernah melihat wajah Husammuddin
dalam erti kata lain, kalau Barat berbangga dengan jutawan media bernama Rupert Murdoch, kita seharusnya berbangga kerana memiliki Husammuddin
bapanya Allahyarham Haji Yaacob Idris asalnya mengusahakan kedai kecil ‘Toko Buku Yaacob Idris’ di Kota Bharu, Kelantan
namun pada tahun 1978, bersama-sama saudara-saudaranya, Haji Fickri Haji Yaacob dan Muhd. Nasir Haji Hamzah, mereka telah menubuhkan syarikat Karangkraf dengan sebuah rumah sewa di SS 2, Petaling Jaya dijadikan pejabat operasi sekaligus kediaman mereka.
dari sebuah rumah sewa, Kumpulan Karangkraf memperkukuhkan operasi dengan memiliki bangunan 3 blok, 3 tingkat di No. 50 & 52, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, sebagai premis perniagaan
namun begitu, sebagai sebuah syarikat penerbitan yang berdaya maju, suatu ‘lompong’ yang perlu dilengkapi ialah urusan pencetakan. Syarikat berasa sudah tiba masanya memiliki syarikat pencetakan sendiri, sekaligus tidak bergantung harap dengan syarikat pencetakan lain untuk mengeluarkan majalah-majalah terbitannya.
maka dari situ Husammuddin yang lebih mesra dipanggil ‘ Haji’ menubuhkan pula Ultimate Print Sdn. Bhd. (UPSB), yang mampu mencetak sehingga 2 juta naskhah majalah setiap bulan
untuk pengetahuan korang, kilang cetaknya itu pernah musnah dalam kebakaran dan banyak bank masa tu ‘reject’ permohonan untuk beliau mendapatkan pinjaman kerana tak yakin dengan kemampuannya
dengan wang simpanan serta bantuan keluarga, beliau berjaya mendirikan semula kilangnya dan dia tidak lagi berpaling
kemudian Husammuddin menubuhkan pula Alaf21 pada April 1997 dan Buku Prima Sdn Bhd pada 2006 bagi memberi ruang kepada penulis dan masyarakat pembaca untuk berkongsi ilmu
sehingga kini, aku rasa Karangkraf dah menerbitkan tidak kurang dari 30 buah majalah dengan kakitangan hampir 1,500 orang di seluruh negara
terbaru, Husammuddin buat ‘gila’ apabila menerbitkan pula akhbar Sinar Harian
untuk pengetahuan korang, bagi memastikan wartawan beliau di setiap daerah menjalankan tugas dengan baik, setiap seorang daripada mereka diberi sebuah kereta Kancil, kamera dan PDA
ini tak pernah berlaku dalam mana-mana syarikat akhbar di negara ini!
aku tak tahu apa pula beliau nak buat selepas ini, tetapi sebagai anak Melayu, aku cukup berbangga dengan kejayaan beliau
pengalaman yang tak dapat aku lupa dengan Husammuddin adalah apabila kali pertama aku bertemu dengannya di Karangkraf
ketika itu dia memandu Mercedez Brabus Sport SLK
kata Husamuddin;
” Saya ni pendek dan kecil orangnya, dulu nak ngorat awek pun tak siapa nak kat saya. Tetapi benda inilah yang memberi motivasi kepada saya untuk sampai ke peringkat sekarang. Rasanya kalau saya cepat, Siti Nurhaliza tu dah lama dah dapat kat saya,” katanya sambil ketawa
walaupun cuma berseloroh, tetapi aku tahu dia cuba nak beritahu aku tiada yang mustahil dalam dunia kalau kita bersungguh-sungguh
biarpun jodoh aku dengan Sinar Harian dan Karangkraf ni sekejap aja, tetapi aku mungkin tak dapat lupa lelaki pendek separuh abad yang pernah berbual dengan aku dulu
dan dialah, the one and only, Husammuddin Yaacob.
Cerita ini ditulis oleh Syahril A. Kadir.. TQ..
malam tadi aku melihat dalam siaran berita mengenai lawatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ke Kumpulan Karangkraf sekaligus merasmikan akhbar Sinar Harian edisi Nasional terbitan kumpulan berkenaan
ia sekali gus mengimbau kenangan kira-kira dua tahun dulu sewaktu aku bertugas di akhbar berkenaan, ketika itu Sinar Harian baru ‘menapak’ ke Selangor
semasa di Sinar Harian, aku memegang jawatan Penyunting Kanan sekaligus mengetuai Meja Jenayah dan Laporan Khas
dalam entry ini, aku nak cerita mengenai ketabahan bos yang juga pemilik Karangkraf itu sendiri iaitu Datuk Husammuddin Yaacob
walaupun telah lama bergelar jutawan, namun beliau cukup ‘low profile’, bahkan aku tak terkejut pun kalau korang tak kenal atau tak pernah melihat wajah Husammuddin
dalam erti kata lain, kalau Barat berbangga dengan jutawan media bernama Rupert Murdoch, kita seharusnya berbangga kerana memiliki Husammuddin
bapanya Allahyarham Haji Yaacob Idris asalnya mengusahakan kedai kecil ‘Toko Buku Yaacob Idris’ di Kota Bharu, Kelantan
namun pada tahun 1978, bersama-sama saudara-saudaranya, Haji Fickri Haji Yaacob dan Muhd. Nasir Haji Hamzah, mereka telah menubuhkan syarikat Karangkraf dengan sebuah rumah sewa di SS 2, Petaling Jaya dijadikan pejabat operasi sekaligus kediaman mereka.
dari sebuah rumah sewa, Kumpulan Karangkraf memperkukuhkan operasi dengan memiliki bangunan 3 blok, 3 tingkat di No. 50 & 52, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, sebagai premis perniagaan
namun begitu, sebagai sebuah syarikat penerbitan yang berdaya maju, suatu ‘lompong’ yang perlu dilengkapi ialah urusan pencetakan. Syarikat berasa sudah tiba masanya memiliki syarikat pencetakan sendiri, sekaligus tidak bergantung harap dengan syarikat pencetakan lain untuk mengeluarkan majalah-majalah terbitannya.
maka dari situ Husammuddin yang lebih mesra dipanggil ‘ Haji’ menubuhkan pula Ultimate Print Sdn. Bhd. (UPSB), yang mampu mencetak sehingga 2 juta naskhah majalah setiap bulan
untuk pengetahuan korang, kilang cetaknya itu pernah musnah dalam kebakaran dan banyak bank masa tu ‘reject’ permohonan untuk beliau mendapatkan pinjaman kerana tak yakin dengan kemampuannya
dengan wang simpanan serta bantuan keluarga, beliau berjaya mendirikan semula kilangnya dan dia tidak lagi berpaling
kemudian Husammuddin menubuhkan pula Alaf21 pada April 1997 dan Buku Prima Sdn Bhd pada 2006 bagi memberi ruang kepada penulis dan masyarakat pembaca untuk berkongsi ilmu
sehingga kini, aku rasa Karangkraf dah menerbitkan tidak kurang dari 30 buah majalah dengan kakitangan hampir 1,500 orang di seluruh negara
terbaru, Husammuddin buat ‘gila’ apabila menerbitkan pula akhbar Sinar Harian
untuk pengetahuan korang, bagi memastikan wartawan beliau di setiap daerah menjalankan tugas dengan baik, setiap seorang daripada mereka diberi sebuah kereta Kancil, kamera dan PDA
ini tak pernah berlaku dalam mana-mana syarikat akhbar di negara ini!
aku tak tahu apa pula beliau nak buat selepas ini, tetapi sebagai anak Melayu, aku cukup berbangga dengan kejayaan beliau
pengalaman yang tak dapat aku lupa dengan Husammuddin adalah apabila kali pertama aku bertemu dengannya di Karangkraf
ketika itu dia memandu Mercedez Brabus Sport SLK
kata Husamuddin;
” Saya ni pendek dan kecil orangnya, dulu nak ngorat awek pun tak siapa nak kat saya. Tetapi benda inilah yang memberi motivasi kepada saya untuk sampai ke peringkat sekarang. Rasanya kalau saya cepat, Siti Nurhaliza tu dah lama dah dapat kat saya,” katanya sambil ketawa
walaupun cuma berseloroh, tetapi aku tahu dia cuba nak beritahu aku tiada yang mustahil dalam dunia kalau kita bersungguh-sungguh
biarpun jodoh aku dengan Sinar Harian dan Karangkraf ni sekejap aja, tetapi aku mungkin tak dapat lupa lelaki pendek separuh abad yang pernah berbual dengan aku dulu
dan dialah, the one and only, Husammuddin Yaacob.
Cerita ini ditulis oleh Syahril A. Kadir.. TQ..
SAYA KEMBALI... HERE I'M BACK..
Terima kasih diatas segala komen - komen dan sokongan sahabat - sahabat (pembaca blog) saya pada blog saya.. Disini saya kembali untuk berkongsi cerita dan update cerita - cerita baru berkaitan jutawan.
Sekarang ni mudah kita untuk melayari internet.. ada wifi.. ada streamyx.. dll..
Sekian Terima Kasih..
Sekarang ni mudah kita untuk melayari internet.. ada wifi.. ada streamyx.. dll..
Sekian Terima Kasih..
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Salam Maaf dari editor
Saya mohon maaf sekiranya blog ini lambat update.. Ini kerana saya telah bertukar ke seremban dan tidak mempunyai internet di rumah. Ini membuat saya terasa susah untuk membuat update dan berkongsi cerita dengan sahabat. Saya berharap sahabat saya terus memberi sokongan pada saya dan blog saya untuk terus menimba ilmu dan mencari pengalaman.
Sekian terima kasih...
Sekian terima kasih...
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
How they got started: For a decade, Steve, an avid spelunker, had been trying to persuade a mountain man to sell him some land with some millennia-old caves on it. In 1999, the man finally relented, and Steve and Jeanne quit their jobs--he owned an unsuccessful oil-production company; she was working in a corporate job--and moved from Denver to Glenwood Springs. They immediately started a small cave-touring business, driving people up the mountain in a van and guiding them through the caverns. But it wasn't until April 2003 that Steve and Jeanne transformed their independent operation into something quite different: an evolving, growing theme park that revolves around their cave tours. Now, a tram carries passengers up the mountain. From there, visitors can tour the caves, hike scenic trails, dine in the restaurant or purchase knickknacks at the gift shop.
How the company evolved during AOL's reality series, The Startup: The Beckleys' year on The Startup was actually their second year as a full-fledged theme park, and in many ways, their growing pains were over. During that first year, they were hammered by crowds that had to wait hours in line, and they had a restaurant where the food ranged from mediocre to inedible. (Occasionally, hot dogs were delivered to customers--still frozen.) And one day the power went out, stranding their banker, who was en route to the park, on a stuck tram.
During their second year of business, the Beckleys were trying to live down their reputation, and generally, they succeeded, mastering the art of crowd flow and revamping their restaurant to offer classy, yet family-friendly, fare. Customers raved, and Steve was able to persuade the city to let him continue his expansion plans.
But for all the good news, everything wasn't perfect. They had a streaker dart through the crowds one summer day, and a lightning storm once took out the power, shutting off the electric lights strategically placed throughout the caves and leaving one tour in the dark.
What's next? Steve and Jeanne have been working on a detailed plan that involves installing everything from rides--like an Alpine coaster--to an amphitheater, where they'll be able to have concerts. The cave tours are fascinating and an excellent reason to visit, but the Beckleys recognize that to get the public to return, the park needs to grow.
How the company evolved during AOL's reality series, The Startup: The Beckleys' year on The Startup was actually their second year as a full-fledged theme park, and in many ways, their growing pains were over. During that first year, they were hammered by crowds that had to wait hours in line, and they had a restaurant where the food ranged from mediocre to inedible. (Occasionally, hot dogs were delivered to customers--still frozen.) And one day the power went out, stranding their banker, who was en route to the park, on a stuck tram.
During their second year of business, the Beckleys were trying to live down their reputation, and generally, they succeeded, mastering the art of crowd flow and revamping their restaurant to offer classy, yet family-friendly, fare. Customers raved, and Steve was able to persuade the city to let him continue his expansion plans.
But for all the good news, everything wasn't perfect. They had a streaker dart through the crowds one summer day, and a lightning storm once took out the power, shutting off the electric lights strategically placed throughout the caves and leaving one tour in the dark.
What's next? Steve and Jeanne have been working on a detailed plan that involves installing everything from rides--like an Alpine coaster--to an amphitheater, where they'll be able to have concerts. The cave tours are fascinating and an excellent reason to visit, but the Beckleys recognize that to get the public to return, the park needs to grow.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Tatparanandam Ananda Krishnan
Tatparanandam Ananda Krishnan (is a Malaysian businessman and philanthropist. Nicknamed TAK, he is currently estimated to have a net worth of US$6.0 billion according to Forbes' latest annual list of billionaires, making him the third wealthiest man in Southeast Asia behind Robert Kuok and Ng Teng Fong..
Ananda Krishnan hates public exposure and is known to maintain a very low profile for a person of his stature. However, his hugely successful business activities always thrust him into the limelight and his name represents a huge business empire.
Early life
He was born in 1938 in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur's "Little India" to a Tamil immigrant family from Sri Lanka and is of Sri Lankan Tamil descent (Ceylonese/Jaffnese).Ananda Krishnan studied at Vivekananda Tamil School in Kuala Lumpur and furthered his studies at Victoria Instituition, Kuala Lumpur. Later, he attended University of Melbourne, Australia for his B.A. (Honours) degree majoring in political science. Following that, Krishnan obtained a Masters in Business Administration at Harvard University, graduating in 1964.
Business
Ananda Krishnan’s first entrepreneurial venture was in oil trading, setting up Exoil Trading, which went on to purchase oil drilling concessions in various countries. Later he moved into gambling (in Malaysia), stud farming (in Australia) and running a Hollywood cartoon studio. Soon, he diversified into a host of other business opportunities. In the early part of the 1990s, he started diversifying, in a big way, into the multimedia arena.
Currently, he has business interests in entertainment (Astro), space(MEASAT) , oil, power, shipping, telecommunications (Maxis, Aircel), property and gaming (Pan Pools Malaysia). His companies operate in a most parts of the South East Asia. A quarter of his wealth comes from the gambling business (lottery, horse-racing wagering). He is also said to be behind the world's largest indoor Water Park in Tropical Islands,Germany with former Genting Group executive Colin Au [2].He is also pondering an online lottery venture in Russia[citation needed].
Said to have an extraordinary entrepreneurial flair and far sighted, it was Ananda who sold former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on the idea of the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, the world's second tallest building, which stake he has now sold off.
Fortune magazine, in a 2001 article, called him "Kuala Lumpur's Mr Big".
Multimedia dealings
He first came to prominence by helping to organize the Live Aid concert with Bob Geldof in the mid-1980s. In the early 1990s, he began building a multimedia empire that now includes two telecommunication companies - Maxis Communications and MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems - and has three communication satellites circumnavigating the earth.
He also effected the purchase of 46% of Maxis Communications, the country's largest cellular phone company, from British Telecom and AT&T for $680 million - raising his stake to 70%. Maxis has more than eight million subscribers, with more than 40% market share in Malaysia. Recently, Maxis has acquired Aircel, Tamil Nadu's largest cellular phone company and has plans to expand to rest of India. Maxis is also under negotiation to buy over and expand an Indonesian cellular phone company.[citation needed]
He is also the head of Astro All Asia Networks Plc, the only company currently providing a DIRECT to HOME TV satellite service in Malaysia. http://www.astroplc.com/05/ (accessed 18th August 2006). It currently broadcasts to Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
In an agreement between Astro and India's Sun Network, Ananda plans to produce TV channels which cater to the Indian market, especially Tamil diaspora in countries such as US and Europe. Ananda also plans to offer TV services featuring Web-based interactivity.Ananda Krishnan owns stakes in TVB.com (the interactive arm of Hong Kong's main broadcaster) and the Shaw Brothers' movie archives, which holds more than 800 movie titles. He also operates a chain of TGV multiplex theatres.
Personal life
Ananda Krishnan has been called everything from a recluse to a humble, silent worker. Not much is known about him and his tightly guarded private life because he maintains such a low profile.
He is known to be apolitical. But he is also a close friend of both former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Mahathir's former arch-foe Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. He brokered the peace deal and healed the political rift between them a few years ago. He is also known to be generous and donates to charities and temples as well as has established scholarships for the deserving. In 2005, newspapers reported that he had given away RM160 million to charities through his privately owned Usaha Tegas group of companies.Despite his wealth he still maintains and stays in his family's Minangkabau styled mansion in Kuala Lumpur.He was one of the earliest tycoon to own a Dassault Falcon private jet.
Ananda Krishnan hates public exposure and is known to maintain a very low profile for a person of his stature. However, his hugely successful business activities always thrust him into the limelight and his name represents a huge business empire.
Early life
He was born in 1938 in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur's "Little India" to a Tamil immigrant family from Sri Lanka and is of Sri Lankan Tamil descent (Ceylonese/Jaffnese).Ananda Krishnan studied at Vivekananda Tamil School in Kuala Lumpur and furthered his studies at Victoria Instituition, Kuala Lumpur. Later, he attended University of Melbourne, Australia for his B.A. (Honours) degree majoring in political science. Following that, Krishnan obtained a Masters in Business Administration at Harvard University, graduating in 1964.
Business
Ananda Krishnan’s first entrepreneurial venture was in oil trading, setting up Exoil Trading, which went on to purchase oil drilling concessions in various countries. Later he moved into gambling (in Malaysia), stud farming (in Australia) and running a Hollywood cartoon studio. Soon, he diversified into a host of other business opportunities. In the early part of the 1990s, he started diversifying, in a big way, into the multimedia arena.
Currently, he has business interests in entertainment (Astro), space(MEASAT) , oil, power, shipping, telecommunications (Maxis, Aircel), property and gaming (Pan Pools Malaysia). His companies operate in a most parts of the South East Asia. A quarter of his wealth comes from the gambling business (lottery, horse-racing wagering). He is also said to be behind the world's largest indoor Water Park in Tropical Islands,Germany with former Genting Group executive Colin Au [2].He is also pondering an online lottery venture in Russia[citation needed].
Said to have an extraordinary entrepreneurial flair and far sighted, it was Ananda who sold former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on the idea of the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, the world's second tallest building, which stake he has now sold off.
Fortune magazine, in a 2001 article, called him "Kuala Lumpur's Mr Big".
Multimedia dealings
He first came to prominence by helping to organize the Live Aid concert with Bob Geldof in the mid-1980s. In the early 1990s, he began building a multimedia empire that now includes two telecommunication companies - Maxis Communications and MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems - and has three communication satellites circumnavigating the earth.
He also effected the purchase of 46% of Maxis Communications, the country's largest cellular phone company, from British Telecom and AT&T for $680 million - raising his stake to 70%. Maxis has more than eight million subscribers, with more than 40% market share in Malaysia. Recently, Maxis has acquired Aircel, Tamil Nadu's largest cellular phone company and has plans to expand to rest of India. Maxis is also under negotiation to buy over and expand an Indonesian cellular phone company.[citation needed]
He is also the head of Astro All Asia Networks Plc, the only company currently providing a DIRECT to HOME TV satellite service in Malaysia. http://www.astroplc.com/05/ (accessed 18th August 2006). It currently broadcasts to Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
In an agreement between Astro and India's Sun Network, Ananda plans to produce TV channels which cater to the Indian market, especially Tamil diaspora in countries such as US and Europe. Ananda also plans to offer TV services featuring Web-based interactivity.Ananda Krishnan owns stakes in TVB.com (the interactive arm of Hong Kong's main broadcaster) and the Shaw Brothers' movie archives, which holds more than 800 movie titles. He also operates a chain of TGV multiplex theatres.
Personal life
Ananda Krishnan has been called everything from a recluse to a humble, silent worker. Not much is known about him and his tightly guarded private life because he maintains such a low profile.
He is known to be apolitical. But he is also a close friend of both former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Mahathir's former arch-foe Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. He brokered the peace deal and healed the political rift between them a few years ago. He is also known to be generous and donates to charities and temples as well as has established scholarships for the deserving. In 2005, newspapers reported that he had given away RM160 million to charities through his privately owned Usaha Tegas group of companies.Despite his wealth he still maintains and stays in his family's Minangkabau styled mansion in Kuala Lumpur.He was one of the earliest tycoon to own a Dassault Falcon private jet.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Cereality
Cereal Entrepreneurs: Roth enjoyed helping clients through his brand development and marketing firm, but the thought of applying his branding skills to another business fired him up. Seeking a product with strong personal ties, he was intrigued by cereal's lasting hold on consumers. "They were eating it everywhere, at different times of day," says Roth. The idea of a cereal retail experience excited Roth's graphic-designer friend Bacher, who was inspired by the creative challenges and possibilities.
Survey Says: According to both Kellogg's and Quaker, 95 percent of the American public enjoys cereal, and even more enjoy milk. Armed with that information, Roth and Bacher set out to create a way for people to savor cereal away from home.
Initially targeting the college market--"They basically live on cereal," quips Roth--the entrepreneurs knew that acceptance by these cynical consumers meant they could get in with everybody. In fact, the popularity of Cereality's prototype kiosk in Tempe, Arizona, at Arizona State University's food court has been trumped by the December 2004 opening of their full-fledged cereal bar and cafe in Philadelphia.
Breakfast Bonanza: Thirty cereals are scooped by pajama-clad "Cereologists," who add any of 30-plus toppings, including the number-one seller: bananas. Cereal bars, snack mixes, "Slurrealities" (smoothies meet cereal), juice, soft drinks, coffee, steamers and seven different milks round out the menu. Next, the company plans to expand into office buildings, airports, hospitals and train stations.
Survey Says: According to both Kellogg's and Quaker, 95 percent of the American public enjoys cereal, and even more enjoy milk. Armed with that information, Roth and Bacher set out to create a way for people to savor cereal away from home.
Initially targeting the college market--"They basically live on cereal," quips Roth--the entrepreneurs knew that acceptance by these cynical consumers meant they could get in with everybody. In fact, the popularity of Cereality's prototype kiosk in Tempe, Arizona, at Arizona State University's food court has been trumped by the December 2004 opening of their full-fledged cereal bar and cafe in Philadelphia.
Breakfast Bonanza: Thirty cereals are scooped by pajama-clad "Cereologists," who add any of 30-plus toppings, including the number-one seller: bananas. Cereal bars, snack mixes, "Slurrealities" (smoothies meet cereal), juice, soft drinks, coffee, steamers and seven different milks round out the menu. Next, the company plans to expand into office buildings, airports, hospitals and train stations.
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