Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi
Food and Beverage

Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi Net Worth

Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi is a Thai billionaire who was born in Bangkok, Thailand in 1944. He is the son of a street vendor and controls Thai Beverage, the largest brewer in Thailand, famous for its Chang beer and Sang Som rum. He has also acquired other big assets such as TCC Land and Fraser & Neave, and recently spent over $6 billion to acquire the hypermarket chain Big C Supercenter. His son Panote is overseeing the One Bangkok development, a $3.5 billion mixed-use project in the heart of Bangkok.
Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi is a member of Food and Beverage

Age, Biography and Wiki

Birth Day May 02, 1944
Birth Place Bangkok, Thailand, Thailand
Age 79 YEARS OLD
Birth Sign Gemini
Residence Bangkok, Thailand
Occupation Chairman, ThaiBev and Fraser and Neave
Spouse(s) Khunying Wanna
Children 5, including Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi

💰 Net worth: $14.8 Billion (2024)

Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, a prominent figure in the food and beverage industry in Thailand, is expected to have a staggering net worth of $14.8 billion by 2024. His success can be attributed to his remarkable leadership and strategic skills in steering his businesses to unparalleled heights. Charoen's empire consists of various food and beverage companies, including the renowned Thai Beverage Public Company Limited. With his astute business acumen and a keen understanding of consumer preferences, Charoen has become a household name in Thailand's F&B landscape. His net worth reflects not only his financial achievements but also the immense impact he has made on the thriving industry.

2009 $2.1 Billion
2010 $2.9 Billion
2011 $4.3 Billion
2012 $5.5 Billion
2013 $11.7 Billion
2014 $9 Billion
2015 $13.2 Billion
2016 $10.7 Billion
2017 $15.8 Billion
2018 $17.15 Billion

Biography/Timeline

1985

In 1985, the remaining 85 percent of state licenses were opened to bids. Charoen was able to take out a US$200 million loan using his large stocks of alcohol as collateral and soon after won 100 percent of the concessions. With this monopoly, Charoen's beverage companies were able to return US$550 million in royalties to Thailand’s excise department in 1987, five percent of the national budget at the time.

1988

In 1988, King Bhumibol of Thailand granted the family the name “Sirivadhanabhakdi”.

1990

Charoen reportedly launched a campaign of resistance against the liberalisation of the local whisky market in the late-1990s and early-2000s. He was reportedly able to do this due to his increasing clout since the Asian financial crisis, which saw him rescue hundreds of politically connected, debt-ridden Thai companies and projects. This includes the acquisition of the large Bangkok IT shopping mall Pantip Plaza from Chalermchai Vaseenont, who set regulations for the local liquor industry in his capacity as a former Director general of the country's excise department at the Ministry of Finance.

1991

In 1991 Charoen teamed up with the Danish brewer Carlsberg to tap into Thailand's growing beer market, at the time dominated by the 60-year-old Boon Rawd Brewery which made Singha beer. Three years later, based on what he had learned from Carlsberg, he began making his own beer, branded "Chang" (Thai for "elephant"). Within five years, Chang had captured 60 percent of the local market. Completely eclipsed, in 2003 Carlsberg pulled out of the joint venture. Charoen then successfully sued the Danish company, winning US$120 million in 2005. In 2005, an attempt by Siriwattanapakdi to list ThaiBev on the Thai stock market triggered protests from Thai Buddhist groups due to concerns over the dangers of increased consumption of alcohol. The protests from the Buddhists groups managed to stop ThaiBev from being listed on the Thai stock exchange.

1997

Since the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and attempts to further liberalize Thailand's competition laws in 1999, Charoen has on occasion been able to use his political connections to increase his dominance over the country's alcohol industry.

2000

Prem Tinsulanonda, the former military general and prime minister of Thailand who sat on ThaiBev's board of Directors in the early-2000s, helped rescue Charoen's Surathip Group, the distributor of Chang beer, in 1986. The company at the time owed 14 billion baht (approximately US$450 million) to banks and 6 billion baht (approximately US$190 million) to the state before Tinsulanonda reportedly stepped in to help the company gain a monopoly over the liquor industry by restructuring contracts to reduce annual "burdens". Chang was also reportedly Classified as an "economy brand", which meant a lower excise tax.

2013

In early 2013, Charoen won a bidding war for Singapore's Fraser and Neave, Ltd which has properties throughout Asia as well as soft-drinks operations, with debt accounting for most of the US$11.2 billion price tag. He received financing to back the deal, the largest merger-and-acquisition transaction introduced in Asia in 2012, from a group of banks including United Overseas Bank, Ltd of Singapore and DBS Bank, Ltd The total number of F&N shares owned by Charoen's group—TCC Assets and Thai Beverage—amounts to 1.19 billion, representing an approximate 83 percent stake, as of 14 February.

2015

In late 2015, strong rumours emerged that Sirivadhanabhakdi was close to completing a takeover of English Premier League side Everton, a club which Chang Beer has sponsored since 2004.

2016

On 7 February 2016 TCC Group announced that it would buy a controlling 58.6 percent stake in Thai hypermarket operator Big C Supercenter for €3.1 billion from Groupe Casino of France. Big C is Thailand's second-largest hypermarket operator after Tesco's Thai unit, and has a market capitalisation of 163.25 billion baht (US$4.6 billion). Charoen's acquisition of Big C would boost the tycoon's Retail presence in Thailand. He owns Berli Jucker PCL, the listed Retail arm of TCC.

2019

Several competitors have protested against some of Charoen’s activities. Boon Rawd Brewery, the Producer of Singha beer, complained to Thailand's Fair Trade Department in October 2000 about Charoen's dumping of cheap products on the market, which the company claimed impeded competition. Charoen was warned that his actions were "inappropriate"; however, the department eventually ruled in his favour after claiming that no law had been violated as regulations regarding the issue had not yet been finalised. Thailand's commerce minister allegedly did not participate in the deliberations and the details of the decision-making process have never been made public.

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.