Hoang Kieu took photo with Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan (second from left), Miss World Organisation chairman and CEO Julia Morley (first from right) and Miss World 2007 Zhang Zilin in Ha Noi in 2008. — Photo vtc.vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Vietnamese American businessman Hoang Kieu has climbed to 628th place in the World's Billionaires list released by American business magazine Forbes as of September 18.

The value of his assets increased from US$1.6 billion to $2.8 billion after the share price of Chinese plasma supplier Shanghai RAAS Blood Products Co., Ltd climbed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Kieu owns 183.6 million shares, or 37 per cent of the company. Forbes wrote that the share value rose "amid optimism about healthcare businesses and a shortage of IPOs that have led investors to bid stocks in growing companies to high earnings multiples".

The magazine also noted that the company's revenue for the first three quarters of 2013 rose by 10 per cent to reach 463 million yuan, or $77 million, while its net profit climbed by four per cent to stand at 148.4 million yuan, or $24.67 million.

In March, Kieu was on the list for the first time in 1078th place, with the value of his assets reaching $1.65 billion.

Kieu, aged 70, holds an American citizenship and lives in Los Angeles, California. Born in the central province of Quang Tri, he moved to the US with his wife and five children in 1975. He is vice chairman of Shanghai RAAS Blood Products.

The company, founded in 1989 in China, is engaged in research, development, manufacture and distribution of blood products. In 2012, it was on Forbes' Asia's 200 Best Under A Billion list which highlights 200 high-performing Asia-Pacific companies with revenues under $1 billion.

Kieu became well known in Viet Nam when he tried to organise the Miss World 2010 contest in the southern province of Tien Giang. But he failed to bring the contest to Viet Nam, and it was held in China. Since then, he has not appeared in public.

Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of Vingroup, remains the sole billionaire living in Viet Nam who appears on the Forbes list. The 46-year-old businessman owns assets worth $1.7 billion, a $0.1 billion increase since March. He has jumped 22 spots to reach the 1070th place in the world.

The Forbes World's Billionaires list names Carlos Slim Helu as the richest person in the world with $85.3 billion. Former Microsoft chairman Bill Gates comes second with $81.4 billion, followed by legendary investor Warren Buffet with $68.3 billion. — VNS