Henry Sy Sr.: The Man Truly Has It All

Apparently, it seems that the slogan of SM malls, “We’ve got it all for you” can also be applied to the life of the man who built it. At 82, Chinese-Filipino Henry Sy Sr. is a perfect picture of success and excellence in all aspects. Born on December 25, 1924, Sy was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. A native of Xiamen in China, he went to the Philippines in 1936 to help his father who then owns a small grocery store in Manila. He was 12 years old then and they were very poor.

Financially, the wealth of Henry Sy is widely recognized. The 2005 Forbes Magazine World's Richest People list of 2005 ranked Sy and his family as the 14th richest person in Southeast Asia and the 74th richest in Asia and Australia. That makes Sy the 355th richest man in the world and the 2nd richest man in the Philippines. According to Forbes Magazine, his asset amounts to USD 15 billion.

In terms of career, Sy is considered a business tycoon and greatly admired by fellow entrepreneurs The success of Henry Sy has been recognized by various institutios. In 1999, the Makati Business Club gave him the "Management Man of the Year" award and the De La Salle University-Manila gave him an Honorary Doctorate in Business Management.

Aside from beng the owner of SM Investments Corporation , he also manages Banco de Oro Universal Bank and China Banking Corporation. He also owns 12% of San Miguel Corporation, with an estimated worth of USD 500 million.

Inspite of his achievements and immense wealth, Sy manages to maintain a simple, strong, and happy family life. Some of his children holds top positions in their various companies. Likewise, he never forgets to share his blessings. Sy put up the SM Foundation Inc. to give hope to poor but deserving youths. To read the original posting, click this link http://www.tsinoy.com/article_item.php?articleid=748