Vietnamese billionaire Pham Thu Huong has climbed higher on the global wealth rankings, surpassing internationally recognised figures including Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
Huong, 57, is the vice chairwoman of Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest listed conglomerate. Her estimated fortune reached US$4.4 billion as of Monday afternoon, placing her at number 982 on Forbes’ real time billionaire rankings.
Her rise highlights the growing influence of Southeast Asian business fortunes as entrepreneurs and investors across the region build substantial wealth through publicly listed companies, technology, infrastructure and consumer businesses.Pham Thu Huong Moves Ahead of Oprah Winfrey
Huong’s estimated fortune now places her ahead of American media entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey, whose wealth stood at about US$3.4 billion at the time of publication.
Winfrey built one of the world’s most recognisable media businesses after rising from broadcasting into television, film, production, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.
Her landmark programme, The Oprah Winfrey Show, became one of the most successful talk shows in television history and ran for 25 years before ending in 2011.
Winfrey later launched the Oprah Winfrey Network, known as OWN. She eventually sold most of her stake in the network to Warner Bros. Discovery in exchange for shares in the company.
Her wealth has also been supported by an extensive real estate portfolio, including properties in California and Hawaii.Vietnamese Billionaire Also Surpasses Taylor Swift Huong’s fortune is also higher than that of American
music superstar Taylor Swift.
Swift had an estimated net worth of about US$2 billion at the time of publication, placing her at number 2,086 on the global billionaire ranking.Swift became a billionaire in October 2023, largely as a result of the commercial success of her music catalogue and the enormous earnings generated by her Eras Tour.
Her fortune includes hundreds of millions of dollars from royalties and touring, alongside the estimated value of her music catalogue and real estate holdings.Huong’s position above Swift demonstrates the scale of wealth generated through Vingroup and the broader Vietnamese corporate economy.Huong Ranks Above Beyoncé and Other Global Billionaires
The Vingroup vice chairwoman has also surpassed Beyoncé Knowles in estimated wealth.Beyoncé’s fortune stood at approximately US$1 billion at the time of publication. Much of her wealth comes from her decades long career as a solo artist and member of Destiny’s Child, alongside her expanding business interests.
The Grammy winning artist has built businesses beyond music, including Parkwood Entertainment, hair care company Cécred and whisky brand SirDavis.Huong’s estimated wealth is also higher than that of Scale AI cofounder Lucy Guo, author J.K. Rowling and singer Rihanna.
Vingroup Shares Drive Huong’s Wealth Higher.A major factor behind Huong’s rise has been the strong performance of Vingroup shares.The company is chaired by her husband, Pham Nhat Vuong, who remains the richest person in Southeast Asia.
Vingroup shares have gained approximately 50 percent since the beginning of the year, increasing the value of Huong’s stake and pushing her higher on global wealth rankings.Her rise also illustrates how ownership in major listed companies can rapidly reshape billionaire rankings when share prices experience significant gains.
For investors watching emerging markets, the development offers another example of how corporate equity ownership remains one of the most powerful drivers of private wealth creation.Huong Enters the World’s Top 1,000 Richest People
Huong entered Forbes’ list of the world’s 1,000 richest people for the first time this month.The milestone comes only months after she was first recognised as a billionaire in February, underlining the speed at which her estimated wealth has increased.
Her progress also reflects the expanding presence of Southeast Asian entrepreneurs on global wealth rankings.In Southeast Asia, however, Huong remains second among the region’s richest women.
She trails Marina Budiman of Indonesia, cofounder and president commissioner of data centre operator DCI Indonesia, whose estimated fortune stands at around US$6 billion.Southeast Asia’s Billionaire Class Continues to Expand
Huong’s ascent provides a snapshot of the changing global wealth landscape.While American entertainment figures such as Winfrey, Swift and Beyoncé have built enormous fortunes through media, intellectual property and entertainment, Huong’s wealth is closely connected to corporate ownership and the performance of a major listed conglomerate.
The contrast highlights the different paths entrepreneurs can take to create multibillion dollar fortunes.For Africa’s business leaders and investors, the story carries a broader lesson. Strong companies, strategic ownership and exposure to fast growing sectors can create significant long term value when supported by effective corporate execution.
At the top of the global ranking remains Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Her estimated fortune stood at approximately US$118 billion at the time of publication.
Huong’s rise may still be far from the scale of the world’s wealthiest individuals, but her rapid ascent places Vietnam and Southeast Asia more prominently in the global conversation about private wealth, corporate growth and emerging market opportunity.
