John Lim very much fits into the self-made category. The son of a school teacher, Lim grew up in public housing in his native Singapore before going on to become one of the pioneers of REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts). His life didn’t really start on its current trajectory until he was 45, when he caught the eye of Li Ka-shing (who like Lim enjoyed his own rags to riches tale, becoming Hong Kong’s richest man, and considered to be one of the most astute businessmen ever to have lived) and together they co-founded the company that would go on to become ARA Asset Management.

That was in 2002, and since then he has not stood still, leading the privatisation of the company in 2016, and recently investing $575 million in Kenedix and Cromwell Property Group (in Japan and Australia respectively). He was also at the forefront of ARA’s move to strengthen its presence in China, where they entered into a joint venture with AVIC. These moves have seen John Lim – who still owns approximately a fifth of ARA – increase his fortune considerably over the last 24 months.