SINGAPORE: Goh Cheng Liang, the richest Singaporean according to Forbes’ annual list of global billionaires in 2025, died at the age of 98 on Tuesday (Aug 12).
The founder of paint and coatings company Wuthelam Group “passed away this morning with family members by his side”, according to a media release.
Goh held a majority stake in Japan’s Nippon Paint Holdings and had an estimated net worth of US$13 billion (S$16.7 billion), according to Forbes.
He grew up in a shophouse in River Valley Road with his parents and four siblings.
In 1949, Goh launched his Pigeon Brand paint business, which later evolved into a partnership with Nippon Paint, the world’s fourth-largest paint maker.
He founded Wuthelam Holdings in 1974 and built it into a global conglomerate.
Wuthelam Group currently owns nearly 60 per cent of Nippon Paint Holdings. The family’s other ventures included the former Liang Court and Mount Elizabeth Hospital, both of which Goh developed and later sold.
Goh was also a philanthropist who funded medical research, particularly in cancer treatment, and provided bursaries and scholarships for underprivileged students, as well as donations to various welfare agencies.
In 1995, with the late Singapore president Wee Kim Wee’s help, he set up the Goh Foundation to provide a more structured approach to his philanthropic efforts.
The Goh Foundation contributed to the establishment of the National Cancer Centre in Singapore and its subsequent expansion to include the Goh Cheng Liang Proton Therapy Centre.
It also awarded grants to support children’s cancer research at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, the Viva Foundation and the National University Hospital.
Goh, who is a cancer survivor, championed research into better treatments for rheumatological and immunological conditions through the ARiSE programme at Singapore General Hospital.
He also backed supportive and palliative care initiatives with the National Cancer Centre in collaboration with the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre.
Beyond his contributions in Singapore, Goh also funded roads, clean water supplies, sanitation systems and several schools in Dawu Village, his ancestral home in Chaozhou, China.
Goh is survived by three children, Goh Hup Jin, Goh Chuen Jin and Goh Chiat Jin, as well as eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
He loved spending time with his grandchildren, and enjoyed activities like boating, fishing, having good food and travelling.
To his family and friends, he was a humble and private man known for his great sense of humour, according to the media release.
His eldest son, Goh Hup Jin, said in the release that his father was “a beacon of kindness and strength”.
“We are very fortunate to have had him show us how to be a good person – he taught us to live life with compassion and humility,” he said. - The Straits Times/ANN
