Despite market fall, stock billionaires getting richer

VietNamNet Bridge - Some years ago, Vietnam only had about 10 people holding shares worth VND1 trillion or more. But the figure rose to 50 by the end of 2017 and to 60 by the end of 2018.

VietNamNet Bridge - Some years ago, Vietnam only had about 10 people holding shares worth VND1 trillion or more. But the figure rose to 50 by the end of 2017 and to 60 by the end of 2018.

In 2016, one only needed to have VND2.5 trillion worth of stocks to be listed in the top 10 stock billionaires, but that grew to VND5 trillion in 2017 and to VND8 trillion in 2018.

Analysts noted a growing tendency of people holding shares via their private-invested companies instead of holding shares directly. Therefore, market analysis firms now tend to calculate billionaires’ total assets by counting indirect ownership of stocks.

Last year, Vingroup President Pham Nhat Vuong, Vietjet Air CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and Vicostone Ho Xuan Nang saw their asset value increase significantly when counting their indirectly held shares.

And with the new calculation method, two new names appeared in CafeF’s ranking – president of Masan Group Nguyen Dang Quang and vice president of Masan Group Ho Hung Anh.

Analysts noted a growing tendency of people holding shares via their private-invested companies instead of holding shares directly. Therefore, market analysis firms now tend to calculate billionaires’ total assets by counting indirect ownership of stocks.

CafeF estimates that each of them is holding stock assets valued at VND20 trillion.

With the figures, Anh and Quang replaced Trinh Van Quyet and Tran Dinh Long as the third and fourth richest billionaires.

The assets of the 10 richest stock billionaires total VND320 trillion, an increase of VND54 trillion over the last year.

With total asset value of VND178 trillion ($7.7 billion), or $1 billion higher than reported by Forbes, Vingroup president Pham Nhat Vuong continues to be the richest stock billionaire. His asset value is equal to the total assets of all the 17 individuals on the list of stock billionaires.

Vuong’s assets include 27.4 percent of Vingroup shares he holds directly and shares he holds indirectly via Vietnam Investment Group.

The second position belongs to Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, CEO of Vietjet Air, who has stock assets worth VND26.2 trillion.

There are two other women in the list of top 10 – Pham Thu Huong (No 7), the wife of Vuong, and Pham Thuy Hang (No 9) – with shares worth VND14.4 trillion and VND9.6 trillion, respectively.

Hoa Phat Group’s Tran Dinh Long has fallen to the fifth position with assets decreasing by 10 percent to VND16.5 trillion. Long in early 2018 was added to Forbes’ list of dollar billionaires with assets of $1.3 billion, but later was excluded from the list as Hoa Phat share price has decreased sharply.

US$1=VND22,000

Earning VND1 trillion a month, Vietnamese billionaires become richer than ever

Thanh Lich