A number of reports by domestic and international organisations seem to show that the number of super-rich people has been increasing in Vietnam, a trend that is expected to continue.
Well-known people with high net worths
Swiss Bank UBS forecast last year that the wealthy population in Vietnam would increase sharply in the next ten years, making for a total of about 300 "super-rich" people. This number is said by many analysts to be too high in comparison with Vietnam's developing economy, yet many experts claim that the actual number is even higher.
Few wealthy individuals make their assets public or hold much of their wealth in the stock market. The reports also piqued public curiousity since they do not mention any names, only the number of rich individuals.
On July 11, ANZ Commericial Bank announced that the middle-class in Vietnam is growing faster than any other Asian country, including China. It is forecast that Vietnam will have 2 million more people join the middle-class each year. The news seems to prove that Vietnam's economy has grown considerably. There are about 700,000 enterprises in Vietnam, providing more jobs to citizens.
Moreover, the World Bank's report, released last week, showed that Vietnam has about 110 people with net worths of at least USD30 million. This number is three times higher than a decade ago.
According to World Bank, this number is about what is to be expected when compares to other countries which have the same per capita income. The World Bank also expressed worries about the growing gap between the rich and the poor, as well as the means people use to accumulate wealth.
Some of the most well-known people are Pham Nhat Vuong, founder and chairman of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup; Doan Nguyen Duc, chairman and founder of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group and a football club; Tran Dinh Long of steel producer Hoa Phat Group, and Dang Thanh Tam of housing developer KBC.