We all aspire to greatness in our lives. Here’s a story of how a poor boy, with only primary school education, made it in life. He is now Singapore’s #2 richest man, with an estimated real time net worth of $6.8 Billion (31/5/16).
Never let anyone tell you that your background defines your place in the world. For Goh Cheng Liang, it was a matter of hard work and determination that clinched him a place in the Forbes list. From once selling fishing nets during World War II for a living, he is now an owner of Japan’s Nippon Paint Holdings (39%).
Family background
Born in 1928, Goh lived with his family of seven in a small $3-a-month rented room in a River Valley Road shophouse. With only a primary school education, he was sent by his parents to Muar, Malaya at 12 years old to help his brother-in-law sell fishing nets. There, he picked up a few skills on managing his own business.
A Failed Business
Returning to Singapore in 1943, Goh started his own business selling aerated water but it was not successful. Undeterred, he took up an apprenticeship at a hardware store. He worked hard and learnt all he could throughout his stay, gradually earning a promotion and becoming a salesman.
An Opportunity
In 1949, Goh saw that the British were auctioning off rotten paint and spotted an opportunity. Purchasing a few barrels, he utilised his knowledge from the hardware store and experimented with different solvents and chemicals to create his own line of Pigeon Paint. The following year, his efforts paid off as his business boomed when the Singaporean Government imposed restrictions on imports due to the Korean War.
“My fortune was built from these two events – the Korean War and the oil embargo,” Mr Goh said during a Singapore Business Times interview in 1997.
Pushing ahead
Goh was, however, not contend with the fortunate events. He agreed to form a partnership with Japan’s Nippon Paint Holdings as a distributor in 1959, and continued to push on with his business.
He founded the Nippon Paint South-East Asia Group (Nipsea Group) and expanded his company to become one of the largest paintmakers in Asia, with branches in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and the Phillipines.
“This is just one more milestone for the 86-year-old, whose life story has been filled with the kinds of twists and turns that would tax a Hollywood scriptwriter.”
Asia One, 2015
Philanthropy
Now, Goh lives a humble life, slowly passing the mantle to his son, and often shies away from interviews. He regularly gives back to the community by donating to medical causes. In March 2014, his Goh Foundation gave $50 million to the National Cancer Centre Singapore.
It just comes to show that Goh’s rag-to-riches story abolishes the common belief that you need to be rich or educated to be successful in life. It took only selfless dedication and the refusal to accept defeat for the paint tycoon to achieve his goals.
Ben Franklin once said that anyone can do anything once they set their minds to. Should we adopt even a small portion of Goh’s resolute mindset, our own goals and dreams might not seem that impossible to achieve.
Do you know of any other inspiring stories from Singaporeans? We would love to hear from you!
(Header image credit: Photo by ST, Zaobao, asiaone)
Also read: Overcoming Your Own Imperfections – Story Of Chong Phit Lian
