Throwing his hat into the ring

Ng: ‘Singapore has given me so much and I want to do whatever I can, even at this stage of my life.’ — Bloomberg

The former chief investment officer of Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte and chairman of multibillion-dollar investment firm Avanda Investment Management, Ng Kok Song, plans to run for president, pitting him against his one-time superior, Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Ng, 75, spent more than four decades working up the ranks of public service until his retirement in 2013 and helped shape the creation of GIC, which is estimated to manage about US$690bil in assets. Over his career he’s built relationships with the likes of hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio and Gordon Brown, a fellow member of Pimco’s six-person global advisory board.