According to a business dictionary, risk taker is an individual or business that tends to behave in a way that can potentially cause physical harm or financial loss, but might also present an opportunity for a rewarding outcome. (Sources form http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/risk-taker.html)
The Malaysia’s richest entrepreneur, Robert Kuok Hock Nien (also known as The Sugar King of Asia) is an example for this trait. He started his own business by founding Kuok Brothers Company when he was 26 years old. During one of the board meeting, he bravely proposed the shareholder invest all their money in the sugar refinery business which causing an uproar in the meeting because, in that time, no ones in Malaysia had been engaged in that industry before. His action was considered risky by others shareholder but eventually the sugar refineries business had been successful controlled 80 percent of sugar market of the country.
Besides that, Mr. Robert Kuok also invested in the hospitality industry which he built a hotel called Shangri-La. He took a risk to invest the hotel where at that time many people were more interested in trading instead of invested in real estate or hotel. Plus, he invested the hotel in China in the year 1983 where China then began in the fifth year of reform. Since China was new reform, the tourist facilities especially the toilet was poor causing few people will travel to China and this may lead him to lose his business. However, China becomes one of the most prosperous countries in tourism industry now.
Moreover, Mr. Robert Kuok and then Ministry of Foreign Trade invested US$500 million in building the China World Trade Center in Beijing in the year 1984 and it was considered the largest investment plan implemented by foreign parties in China. It was also considered as a risky decision because many people did not think it was a good idea to invest in such environment at that time. And now, the building has successfully attracted Mobil, HSBC, Toyota as well as global 500 companies settled in the office due to its advantageous geographical location and modern facilities.
At last, Robert Kuok said that he barely to bankrupt because he too brave to keep two hundred thousand tons of sugar in May of 1963 for preparation in future market as he believed the market would grow. Unexpectedly, the market not only stagnant but also fell sharply in July and August. However, at the end of August the typhoon hit and damaged most sugar cane farm in Cuba and saved him from being bankrupt. He revealed it when he was interviewed with CCTV “Dialogue” on 5th Jun 2011. He also said that: “there are risks in every business; if you are not bold enough to grab on the first or next opportunities, then you shall be a poor person forever” in the said interview.
Robert Kuok is now ranking 110 in the world’s richest person with $9.4 billion fortune according to Forbes Magazine 2015.
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