Francis Yeoh was the eldest of his seven siblings, and the heir to his father Yeoh Tiong Lay a billionaire businessman. In 1988 he was appointed managing director of YTL, the family business that his father founded in 1955. All of Francis’ brothers and sisters are involved in the business. Under his guidance, YTL grew, and concentrated on six distinct avenues, namely YTL Corporation Berhad, YTL Power International Berhad, YTL Land & Development Berhad, YTL Hospitality REIT, Lafarge Malaysia Berhad and Starhill Global REIT.

The diverse businesses under his control include PowerSeraya, Singapore’s second largest power producer that accounts for 20% of its market; Wessex Water in England and LaFarge Malaysia Berhad. He is on the board of Rome Opera House, and has been recognised as one of the people behind transforming Kuala Lumpur into a popular tourist destination.