Lim family
Lim Goh Tong, while working on a hydroelectric project in 1963, identified a hilltop site near Kuala Lumpur for a resort and founded Genting Highlands Berhad in 1965 with a partner. Construction began that August; by 1969 the Malaysian government had granted Genting the country's only casino license, in recognition of the tourism development Lim had undertaken without state funding.
How the fortune was built
Genting grew from a single hilltop casino resort into a diversified global group spanning plantations, energy, and international gaming, expanding into Genting Singapore/Resorts World Sentosa, Resorts World New York, Resorts World Las Vegas, Resorts World Birmingham, and Resorts World Bimini. Leadership passed to Lim Goh Tong's son Lim Kok Thay, who oversaw this international buildout into a multibillion-dollar conglomerate operating over 40 properties worldwide.
Where the family invests today
Genting is committing roughly $5.5 billion to expand Resorts World New York City after winning a new casino license, alongside a roughly $5 billion expansion of Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. Lim Kok Thay stepped down as Genting CEO in March 2025 but remains executive chairman. The group continues to diversify via Genting Plantations and Genting Energy alongside its core gaming business.
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