Vietnam's richest man surpasses $8bn net worth, achieving record high: Forbes

As of Sunday morning, U.S.-based business magazine Forbes reported Pham Nhat Vuong's net worth at $8.1 billion, placing him 361st globally. This reflects a $500-million increase since April 2 and a $3.6-billion rise since the year's start.

This substantial growth is primarily attributed to a surge in Vingroup's stock prices.

Notably, VIC shares had been rebounding despite broader market difficulties, even before the U.S. administration announced a 90-day delay of a 46-percent tariff on imports from Vietnam.

Over the past week, VIC's market value has risen by 16 percent, and by as much as 35 percent over the past month

Vuong directly owns 691.3 million VIC shares, representing about 18 percent of the company's charter capital, and holds additional shares indirectly through private entities such as Xanh SM, VMI, and Vietnam Investment Group.

He also maintains a significant stake in VinFast, Vingroup's electric vehicle subsidiary, through his private companies.

First entering Forbes' billionaire list in 2013 with assets of $1.5 billion, ranked 974th globally, Vuong has since ascended over 600 positions, with his net worth increasing more than fivefold.

On March 30, Vuong ranked 412th with a net worth of $7.5 billion, surpassing legendary investor George Soros, who placed 442nd with $7.2 billion.

On March 15, Vuong held the 462nd position with a fortune of $7.1 billion, overtaking U.S. President Donald Trump by 248 positions.

Vuong currently leads among the five Vietnamese billionaires recognized in Forbes' global rich list.

Following him are VietJet Air CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao with $2.5 billion, Hoa Phat Group chairman Tran Dinh Long with $2.1 billion, and Techcombank chairman Ho Hung Anh with $1.7 billion, according to the Forbes data as of Sunday morning.

Their global rankings at that time were 1,455th, 1,707th, and 1,989th, respectively.

Previously, Vietnam had six individuals on the global list, including Thaco chairman Tran Ba Duong and Masan Group chairman Nguyen Dang Quang, who once ranked fifth and sixth among the Vietnamese billionaires.

However, Duong was removed from the list in the March 11 update after his net worth fell below the $1 billion threshold required for inclusion, and Quang followed on April 4.

On the global stage, Tesla CEO Elon Musk remains the world's wealthiest person, with a net worth of $369.7 billion as of Sunday morning, according to Forbes.

He is followed by Amazon's Jeff Bezos ($202 billion), Meta's Mark Zuckerberg ($188.1 billion), Oracle's Larry Ellison ($166.7 billion), and Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett ($163 billion).