The billionaire grandfather worked hard to get rich, his grandson was debauched, drove a car to cause an accident, was wanted by Interpol worldwide
From empty hands to top billionaires in Asia
Born in 1923, he grew up in a poor family, had to drop out of school at the age of 10 to work. In 1956, after years of effort and savings, Mr. Yoovidhya established TC Pharmaceutical Industries by himself and specialized in distributing antibiotics throughout the country.
Through working with freight coordinators, he realized he needed to research an energy drink for long-distance drivers to reduce their fatigue at work. After many years of hard work, in 1975, he launched the product Krating Daeng in Thai with the same meaning as Red Bull, with the main ingredients being caffeine, taurin and cane sugar.
For 12 years, it was only sold to the poor in rural areas, when this drink was suddenly discovered and tried by an Austrian named Dietrich Mateschitz. Surprised by the effect of Red Bull, while the European and American market had no comparable product, he immediately signed a cooperation agreement to bring this drink to the world.
Mr. Chaleo Yoovidhya (left) and Mr. Dietrich Mateschitz (right) made the famous Red Bull brand.
The product quickly achieved success, beating many other competitors to become the world’s leading energy drink brand with markets in 165 countries and billions of cans consumed each year.
The energy drink product Red Bull and sports teams have made the Yoovidhya family one of the richest families in Thailand and Asia with a fortune of more than $24.5 billion in 2021, according to Forbes magazine. announced.
In Vietnam, although in the past 3 years, the growth has slowed down somewhat, but Red Bull is considered to only sell energy drinks, but Redbull is more profitable than Coca-Cola or Pepsi. Red Bull’s revenue in 2019 exceeded VND 1,000 billion for the first time, the profit margin reached nearly 50%.
Billionaire “old farmer” with a kind heart
Yupana Wiwattanakantang – Professor at the National University of Singapore said: “Although all family members lead a well-off life, in general they keep a humble and humble attitude. Especially Yoovidhya, Mr. It’s not pretentious.”
During his return to his hometown Baan Khao Chang, he gave many scholarships to children, and invited villagers to Bangkok to work for the Red Bull factory to solve employment problems for generations of people in the area. this.
In 2011, when the place was severely damaged by the historic flood, Mr. Yoovidhya also sent lifesaving boxes containing rice, canned food, medicine and flashlights to each impoverished household.
Wearing old clothes and often traveling on an old bicycle, Mr. Chaleo Yoovidhya is always mistaken for a certain poor old man. Yoovidhya was even asked many times by the security guard to stop in front of the Red Bull energy drink factory on the outskirts of Bangkok because his appearance was too simple.
The generation of children and grandchildren is full of scandals
Founder Chaleo Yoovidhyas himself is very simple, thrifty and loves his homeland, but his descendants have not learned these virtues.
After Mr. Yoovidhya’s death in early 2012, the villagers of Baan Khao Chang said: “Although his family continued to support the temple that the late billionaire once built, they have never been seen back. Mr. Yoovidhya worked hard to earn money, but his family was born rich. Such people usually don’t need and don’t want to work hard anymore. They also want to be rich. like their fathers, but they don’t want to work. All they care about is themselves.”
Eldest son Chalerm Yoovidhya and grandson Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya in an upmarket bar in Hong Kong in 2012.
The nobleman of the Red Bull family on a private jet. Photo: Mogaznews.
Typically, Mr. Yoovidhya’s grandson is Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya. At the end of 2012, only 6 months after his grandfather’s death, “Boss” drove an expensive Ferrari on the streets of Bangkok in a drunken state and hit a police officer on patrol, causing this person to die immediately. in place. Even “Boss” did not stop the car but continued to drive away, dragging the dead policeman’s body hundreds of meters on the road.
“Boss” has been prosecuted for the crime of drunk driving and intentionally fleeing after causing an accident. Even so, “Boss” even defended in court that it was the police officer who deliberately rammed the car into the nose of his car.
Vorayuth was arrested but was released on bail the same day.
The scandal-ridden grandson still regularly appears at lavish parties abroad after committing crimes.
After the first trial, the “Boss” family offered bail equivalent to 16,000 USD, so they were bailed. Vorayuth has been prosecuted and wanted globally, after he repeatedly reported illness and fled abroad in each summons for 5 years. According to the press, Vorayuth has at least two passports and a complex network of overseas accounts. With these tools, he can travel around the world with impunity.
In 2020, CNN suddenly reported that the Office of the Attorney General of Thailand (OAG) canceled the prosecution and terminated this case without a satisfactory explanation. The incident was even more dramatic later when a new important witness appeared in the case of a traffic accident and died. Public opinion is suspicious and angry at the multitude of hidden things and unfairness in the trial of the rich.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: cafebiz.vn – Read the original article here
