Born in Hai Duong, Tran Dinh Long graduated from Hanoi’s National Economics University in 1986 with a BA in economics. Six years later he founded Hoa Phat Corp, becoming the Chairman of the Board of Directors at its Hoa Phat Equipment and Accessories Company Ltd before moving to the Hoa Phat Group in 1996 where he was chairman of their group of directors. The company is Vietnam’s largest producer of steel, making not just steel used for construction but also steel pipes and office equipment.