Masan chairman Nguyen Dang Quang rejoins Forbes billionaire ranks

According to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires list updated on Sunday, Quang ranked 3,328th among the world’s richest people.

His return brought the number of Vietnamese U.S.-dollar billionaires recognized by Forbes back to eight.

Quang had dropped off the ranking in mid-September after his fortune slipped below the $1-billion threshold. As of September 13, Forbes listed only seven Vietnamese billionaires.

The Masan chairman’s wealth has hovered around the $1-billion mark in recent months, causing him to move in and out of the ranking as market valuations changed.

His latest return came as Masan’s MSN shares recovered from their mid-September levels. The stock closed at VND70,100 ($2.66) per share on September 25.

The group has also remained in the spotlight because of recent investment deals.

On September 24, the group announced an agreement to sell nearly a five-percent stake in Masan High-Tech Materials to a U.S. partner for up to $124.75 million.

Forbes currently lists Vingroup chairman Pham Nhat Vuong as Vietnam’s richest person, with an estimated fortune of $36.2 billion and a global ranking of 64th.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, chairwoman of Vietjet Air, ranks second with an estimated net worth of $4.2 billion. She is followed by Pham Thu Huong, vice-chairwoman of Vingroup and wife of Pham Nhat Vuong, with $4.1 billion.

Pham Thuy Hang, vice-chairwoman of Vingroup and younger sister of Pham Thu Huong, has an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion.

Hoa Phat chairman Tran Dinh Long and Techcombank chairman Ho Hung Anh each hold an estimated fortune of $2.3 billion, while VPBank chairman Ngo Chi Dung has a net worth of about US$1.2 billion.

Quang ranks eighth among Vietnam’s billionaires with his $1-billion fortune.