Top 5 Richest Women in Southeast Asia: Two from Vietnam

The five wealthiest women in Southeast Asia have a combined fortune of $22.9 billion, with two from Indonesia, two from Vietnam, and one from Thailand. Marina Budiman from Indonesia leads the pack as the region's wealthiest woman with a net worth of $6 billion. She is the co-founder and president commissioner of data center company DCI Indonesia, established in 2011. She also cofounded Indonet, Indonesia's first internet service provider. Somurai Jaruphnit from Thailand ranks second with a fortune of $4.4 billion, derived from an 8.42% stake in the holding outfit of the Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group), a major producer of animal feed and livestock. Pham Thu Huong from Vietnam secures the third spot with $4.4 billion in wealth, the same as Jaruphnit. She is the deputy chairwoman of Vingroup and the wife of Southeast Asia's richest man, Pham Nhat Vuong. Vingroup's key businesses include EV maker VinFast and property developer Vinhomes. Vanessa Hartono from Indonesia ranks fourth with a net worth of $4.1 billion, largely inherited from her late father, Michael "Bambang" Hartono. The Hartono family initially built its fortune in tobacco and also holds interests in prime real estate and the electronics brand Polytron. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao from Vietnam rounds out the top five with $4 billion in wealth. She is Vietnam's first self-made woman billionaire, having launched budget airline Vietjet Air in 2011. Her investments also span HDBank, technology, green energy, and real estate. These women's achievements highlight the dynamism of the Southeast Asian economy and the growing influence of women in business. Vingroup and Vietjet Air, in particular, are significant contributors to Vietnam's economic growth and international profile.