Lim Kok Thay
Lim Kok Thay | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 16, 1951 Malaysia |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Businessman |
| Known for | Executive chairman of Genting Group |
| Notable work | Development of Resorts World integrated resorts, acquisition of Crystal Cruises |
Lim Kok Thay (; born 16 August 1951) is a Malaysian Chinese billionaire entrepreneur and the executive chairman of Genting Group, a diversified conglomerate involved in casinos, resorts, and palm oil, with an estimated value close to MYR 40 billion. He is the second son of the group's founder, Lim Goh Tong.
Career
Lim holds the positions of executive chairman and board member at Genting Malaysia Berhad and Genting Berhad, which are the principal companies within Genting Group. The conglomerate operates in various sectors including leisure and hospitality, power generation, oil palm cultivation, property development, biotechnology, and oil and gas.
He co-established Genting Hong Kong Limited (previously known as Star Cruises), which, together with Norwegian Cruise Line in 2011, ranked as the third-largest cruise operator worldwide, managing a fleet of 18 vessels and approximately 35,000 lower berths.
Lim earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of London and completed an advanced management program at Harvard Business School in 1979. He joined Genting Group’s board in 1976. Under his guidance, the group grew from a single publicly listed company in 1971 to five listed entities across Bursa Malaysia, Singapore Exchange, and Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Following his father's retirement in 2003, Lim was appointed chairman and CEO of Genting Berhad and Genting Malaysia Berhad. He then broadened Genting’s international presence in leisure tourism and entertainment. The Group launched renowned brands such as "Resorts World," "Maxims," "Crockfords," and "Awana," while establishing collaborations with Universal Studios, Hard Rock Hotel, Premium Outlets, and Synthetic Genomics.
In 1990, Lim played a key role in assisting the Mashantucket Pequots to develop Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, which became the largest casino in the United States by floor area. He also managed the expansion of Resorts World Genting (formerly Genting Highlands Resort), which received multiple accolades as "World's Leading Casino Resort" between 2005 and 2010.
Under his leadership in 2005, Genting UK Plc emerged as the largest casino operator in the United Kingdom with ownership of 43 casinos. The following year, Lim won the bid to develop Singapore’s inaugural integrated resort—Resorts World Sentosa—which opened in phases starting from 2010. This resort includes Southeast Asia’s first Universal Studios Singapore, six themed hotels, and several other major attractions.
Currently, Genting Group runs integrated resorts throughout Asia: Resorts World Genting (Malaysia), Resorts World Sentosa (Singapore), and Resorts World Manila (Philippines), drawing millions of visitors each year. Additionally, the Group is advancing developments in the United States including Resorts World New York City, Resorts World Las Vegas, Resorts World Miami, and Resorts World Bimini near Miami.
Lim also holds honorary academic titles such as visiting professor at Imperial College London’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering (appointed 2009) and honorary professor at Xiamen University (appointed 2007).
In 2015, Lim acquired Crystal Cruises for $550 million from Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha. He expanded this brand by adding river cruise ships, an ocean expedition vessel, shipyard facilities, and a private jet charter service.
Family legal disputes arose in 2017 when three nephews filed lawsuits contesting a family trust created by Lim Goh Tong; another legal action was initiated by Lim’s sister concerning beneficial interests in Genting shares.
February 2018 saw Lim inaugurate Resorts World Catskills via Empire Resorts Inc., a $1.2 billion integrated casino-entertainment-hotel complex located in New York.
In January 2022, Genting Hong Kong (formerly Star Cruises) filed for bankruptcy due to financial challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 1 March 2025, Lim relinquished his role as CEO of Genting Berhad but continued serving as Executive Chairman. Dato' Sri Tan Kong Han succeeded him as CEO—the first individual appointed to this position outside the founding family.
Personal life
Tan Sri Lim is wedded to Puan Sri Cecilia Lim, and together they have three children. As reported on 16 February 2021, Forbes valued his fortune at US$2.4 billion, placing him as the 1063rd wealthiest individual worldwide.
Recognitions
In 2009, Lim received the "Travel Entrepreneur of the Year" accolade from Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) Asia and was also recognized as "The Most Influential Person in Asian Gaming" by Inside Asian Gaming, acknowledging his significant contributions to the travel and leisure industries.
Honours
- :
- Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – conferring the title Tan Sri (2002)
- :
- Knight Companion of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (DIMP) – awarded the title Dato' (1991)
- Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – bestowed with the title Dato' Sri (2007)