The latest billion-dollar billionaire in Vietnam: Doctor of Nuclear Physics but works in the wrong field

Forbes magazine has just updated information on the assets of Vietnamese entrepreneurs at the beginning of the Year of the Tiger. Mr. Nguyen Dang Quang, Chairman of Masan Group, returned to the list of USD billionaires after losing this position before the Lunar New Year holiday.

According to Forbes, as of February 2 (the 5th day of Tet), Mr. Nguyen Dang Quang has a net worth of 1 billion USD, ranking 2,718th in the world. On January 23, Mr. Quang's assets fell below the threshold of 1 billion USD. This is not the first time Mr. Quang has been off the Forbes list.

As of February 2, Vingroup Chairman (VIC) and CEO of VinFast (VFS) Pham Nhat Vuong has assets worth 4.1 billion USD, unchanged from the end of the previous year but the ranking decreased from 839 to 842 in the world. At the beginning of 2024, Mr. Vuong's assets are at 4.6 billion USD.

Compared to before the Lunar New Year, the assets of VietJet (VJC) Chairman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao are still at 2.8 billion USD. Mr. Tran Ba Duong (Thaco) and his family recorded assets standing still at 1.3 billion USD.

Chairman of Techcombank (TCB) Ho Hung Anh recorded an increase in assets from 1.7 billion USD to 1.8 billion USD. The assets of Hoa Phat Group (HPG) Chairman Tran Dinh Long increased by 100 million USD, to 2.3 billion USD.

Thus, Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong is still the richest person on Forbes' list, as well as according to assets derived from stocks listed on the Vietnamese stock market. Mr. Vuong has held the No. 1 position since 2010.

The position in the ranking of many Vietnamese billionaires on Forbes declined because the world recorded more stock sessions rising than falling during Vietnam's Tet holiday.

Who is Mr. Nguyen Dang Quang?

Mr. Nguyen Dang Quang is a well-known Vietnamese businessman in the FMCG industry. But few people know that he has a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics - a discipline that seems unrelated to business activities.

According to the website of the University of Natural Sciences, Hanoi National University, nuclear physics trains bachelors with professional qualifications in the field of nuclear engineering, experimental nuclear physics, application of nuclear engineering in research, teaching, production and business and other fields.

Bachelor of Nuclear Engineering has the ability to fully research and solve problems in non-destructive testing, support doctors in diagnostic imaging, plan disease treatment by nuclear technology, enterprises using radiation technology; applying modern physical knowledge to science and life; have the ability to access, research and use the most advanced and modern equipment.

In-depth theoretical and experimental research on nuclear such as nuclear structure and reactions, research on nuclear engineering applications in agriculture, industry and other economic-technical fields, in the fields of meteorology, hydrology, geology, minerals and environmental protection. Bachelors in nuclear fields have the ability to research and apply knowledge in the field of energy and non-energy, have the ability to research and apply physical knowledge in science and life, have the ambition to serve the country and have life skills.

However, talking about his majors and business activities, Mr. Nguyen Dang Quang once expressed in the 2021 Annual Report of Masan Group Joint Stock Company. Accordingly, the group's annual report includes an open letter expressing the group's desire and ambition to "make a leap, transform from a traditional business to a technology-based consumer platform".

Mr. Nguyen Dang Quang is a well-known Vietnamese businessman in the FMCG industry with many familiar products.

In addition to sharing more about the group's operating methods and business model, a highlight of Masan's letter was his background and early steps in his journey from a PhD in Nuclear Physics to a billionaire in packaged noodles.

"Many people still mistakenly think that I have a PhD in Marketing because my PhD in Nuclear Physics has nothing to do with the consumer industry. However, I believe that the combination of science, technology and marketing will create an explosive "nuclear reaction" that will help us better serve consumers," Nguyen Dang Quang wrote.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Quang studied abroad for 10 years, graduated with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Russian University of Economics Plekhanov and a Doctor of Science and Technology at the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences and returned to work at the Vietnam Academy of Sciences for a while. But then, he returned to Russia to "trade" instant noodles.

The billionaire head of Vietnam's top consumer goods corporation once walked on stage and enthusiastically shared about how to build an "empire" in the field of consumer goods, because some people still can't understand why he studied nuclear physics but went to sell instant noodles.

According to him, with the economic situation still difficult at that time, the way to make life better and specifically "to make a warmer belly" must rely on instant noodles. "Actually, we did not choose instant noodles, but on the contrary, the difficult context at that time "force.d" us to choose instant noodles" - Mr. Nguyen Dang Quang shared.

Bùi Thành Nhơn - Tỷ phú USD thứ 7 của Việt Nam lần đầu góp mặt trên Forbes giàu cỡ nào? Hoàng Phúc14:48:23 06/04/2022Tạp chí Forbes vừa công bố danh sách tỷ phú thế giới năm 2022, trong đó Việt Nam có 7 đại diện với sự góp mặt mới nhất là Chủ tịch Nova Group, ông Bùi Thành Nhơn. Mới đây, Tạp chí Forbes (Mỹ) đã công bố danh sách tỷ phú USD thế giới...