Dhanin Chearavanont (Thai: ธนินท์ เจียรวนนท์; RTGSThanin Chiarawanon; born 19 April 1939), known in Chinese as Xie Guomin, or Chia Kok Min in Teochew (Chinese: 謝國民; pinyin: Xiè Guómín, Peng'im: zia7 gog4 min5 ), is a Thai billionaire businessman, based in Bangkok. He is the senior chairman of Charoen Pokphand, Thailand's largest private company. Dhanin is head of the Chearavanont family, which was ranked by Forbes Asia in 2017 as Asia's fourth-wealthiest family with a net worth of US$36.6 billion.[2][3] As of January 2021, his net worth was estimated at $17.2 billion.[4] By July 2021 Forbes stated Dhanin and his brothers were worth to be US$12.8 billion,[5] and in July 2022, Forbes ranked the Chearavanont Brothers as the richest in Thailand.[6]

Dhanin Chearavanont
ธนินท์ เจียรวนนท์
Born
Kokmin Saechia

(1939-04-19) 19 April 1939 (age 85)
Bangkok, Siam
Occupation(s)Senior chairman, Charoen Pokphand
SpouseTewee Chearavanont (1962–2023)[1]
Children5, including Suphachai

Early life and education

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Dhanin Chearavanont was born in 1939,[7] as the fourth and youngest son of Chia Ek Chor.[8] Dhanin attended primary school at the Chinese Sarasit Wittaya school in Ban Pong District, Ratchaburi province, until graduating in 1949. In 1952, he travelled to China to study at Shantou No.1 High School, before travelling to the Education University of Hong Kong where he pursued higher education in 1956 including training from the National Defence College of Thailand.[9][better source needed]

Business

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Chearavanont built a close relationship with leadership of Chinese Communist Party, which allowed his business CP to be the largest foreign lessee of land in China, amounting to 200,00 hectares of land in 2012.[10]

Philanthropy

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In 2020, Dhanin donated US$21.8 million to fight the spread of Covid-19 in Thailand.[11]

Personal life

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He is a follower of Buddhism.[12][better source needed]

References

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  1. ^ "Khunying Tawee of CP passed away at age 83". Bangkok Post.
  2. ^ "Asia's wealthiest dynasties Chearavanont Family". Forbes. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Dhanin Chearavanont, CEO & Chairman of CP Group". Thomas White International. November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Dhanin Chearavanont". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  5. ^ "Chearavanont Brothers $30.2B 2021 Thailand's 50 Richest Net Worth". Forbes.com. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Forbes: Chearavanont Brothers richest in Thailand, Elon Musk in world". Forbes.com. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Profile: Erez Vigodman". 16th Nikkei Global Management Forum. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  8. ^ Ismail, Netty (14 July 2014). "Thai Brothers Emerge as Billionaires With CP Group Stakes". Bloomberg. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  9. ^ "Dhanin Chearavanont – Family, Family Tree". Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  10. ^ "Meet Dhanin Chearavanont, the man who swooped in on Ping An". Financial Times. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Billionaire highlights social contributions". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  12. ^ Lee, Minerva (June 4, 2017). "10 Buddhist Billionaires in Asia".