Henry Sy, Jr.

Henry Tan Chi Sieng Sy Sr. (Chinese: 施至成; pinyin: Shī Zhìchéng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Si Chì-sêng[4]; October 15, 1924 – January 19, 2019) was a Chinese Filipino business magnate and philanthropist known for his involvement in the Philippines’ retail industry.

Born in Fujian, China, he moved with his family to the Philippines at age 12. While his family returned to China, he stayed behind and founded ShoeMart, a small Manilla shoe store, in 1958. Over the decades he developed ShoeMart into SM Investments, one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines, including 77 SM malls in the Philippines and China, 62 department stores, 56 supermarkets and over 200 grocery stores. SM also owns Banco de Oro, the second-largest bank in the Philippines, and real estate holdings/[5]

For eleven straight years until his death, Sy was named by Forbes as the richest person in the Philippines.[6] Upon his death on January 19, 2019, his estimated net worth amounted to US$19 billion, making him the 53rd-richest person in the world.[5]

Henry Sy Jr. is co-vice chairman of SM Investments, a major conglomerate founded by his late father, Henry Sy Sr.
He also serves as chairman of SM Prime, the group’s property arm with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels and convention centers.
He is the eldest son of the founder; elder sisters and three younger brothers are also all involved in the business.
In 2017 he set up Big Boss Cement, entering an industry that has benefitted from President Duterte’s massive infrastructure push.