Who is Goh Cheng Liang & what is he known for?
Editor’s note: This article was first published on 7 Aug 2025. It has been updated following his death on 12 Aug 2025.
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In Singapore, Nippon Paint is a household name familiar to locals both young and old — with iconic commercials featuring a sumo wrestler blaring into local homes through television sets for decades.
Source: Nippon Paint Singapore on YouTube
Despite this, how much do Singaporeans actually know about the man who was behind the paint’s local manufacture and distribution?
Here’s what we know about Goh Cheng Liang, the elusive 98-year-old paint tycoon who possessed a net worth of around US$13 billion, and held the title of the richest Singaporean.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
1. Goh Cheng Liang grew up in poverty
Rather than getting a small loan of a million dollars from his father, Goh was actually born into poverty in 1928.
He lived with his family of seven in a one-room tenement until he was 12.
When World War II broke out, the young Goh went to Muar, Malaya, to sell fishing nets before returning to Singapore to start an unsuccessful aerated water business and then working at a hardware store.
In 1949, when the British auctioned off surplus stocks from the war, the young man took the opportunity to buy barrels of rotting paint from them for cheap.
Rotting paint may have been useless to most, but Mr Goh came armed with knowledge from his hardware job and a Chinese dictionary on chemicals.
Source: Nippon Paint Holdings, for illustration purposes only
He experimented with mixing colours and adding solvents and soon, his own paint brand, Pigeon, hit the local markets.
Another big break came with the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950.
With imports restricted, Pigeon’s sales boomed and Mr Goh attained a windfall.
2. Bought majority stake in Nippon Paint
After learning more about paint manufacturing abroad, Mr Goh was approached by Japan’s Nippon Paint, who offered him a partnership in 1959 to become the main local distributor.
Mr Goh accepted and in 1962, established the Nippon Paint South-East Asia Group (Nipsea).
Source: Aikly Paints & Chemical, for illustration purposes only
He grew Nipsea into an Asian paints giant operating in 28 countries, and in turn, became a wealthy billionaire.
Additionally, Mr Goh Cheng Liang founded the privately-owned Wuthelam Holdings, now run by his son Goh Hup Jin.
Source: Nippon Paint Holdings
In 2021, Wuthelam Holdings acquired a 58.7% stake in Nippon Paint, completing the former distributor’s takeover of Japan’s largest paint company.
The bulk of Mr Goh’s billionaire wealth now comes from his majority stake, and surging shares after the deal temporarily boosted his net worth to US$21.7 billion.
Source: Forbes
In 2024, Nippon Paint Holdings made a revenue of 1,638.7 billion yen (S$1.427 billion) — of which Nipsea accounted for 56%, at 914.4 billion yen (S$7.966 billion).
3. Built Liang Court and Mount Elizabeth Hospital
Aside from Nippon Paint, Mr Goh has had many other ventures in Singapore.
Mount Elizabeth Hospital was actually developed by Wuthelam Holdings, opening in 1979, with Mr Goh listed as one of its founders.
He even commissioned the mural of Chinese military general and folk hero Guan Yu undergoing surgery that hangs in the hospital’s lobby today.
Source: Mount Elizabeth
Liang Court is yet another famous building in Singapore that locals might not have associated with the country’s oldest billionaire.
In fact, the building takes its name directly from ‘Goh Cheng Liang’.
Opening in 1984, Liang Court featured many Japanese tenants such as the Daimaru department store and supermarket, as well as Books Kinokuniya.
Source: Sengkang on Wikimedia Commons
Hotel New Otani Singapore (later Novotel Clarke Quay) and Liang Court Regency occupied the two brown blocks towering over the mall.
Wuthelam sold Liang Court in 1999, and the complex has changed hands multiple times since.
All tenants closed by April 2020, and the building was demolished in 2021.
Source: Google Maps
Don’t worry, though, Mr Goh’s influence still lives on through the Nippon Paint logo in the corner of your BTO’s colour scheme voting choices.
4. Owns world’s largest tri-hull yacht valued at US$100 million
Outside of business, Mr Goh indulged in the classic billionaire hobby of buying luxury superyachts, having owned at least five since 1989.
His most recent major acquisition was White Rabbit Golf, which at 84 metres long, is the largest tri-hulled yacht in the world.
Source: Neal Pritchard and Mark Stothard via CharterWorld
The superyacht features 11 cabins and two master staterooms for up to 22 guests.
On-board, there is a jacuzzi, cinema, lounges, a fully-equipped dive chamber, two dining areas, and numerous other amenities.
Source: Neal Pritchard and Mark Stothard via BOAT International
According to Motor Yachting, White Rabbit Golf’s price is a staggering US$100 million (S$128 million).
To put this into perspective, a Singaporean earning the median monthly salary of S$5,500 will need to work for 1,939 years without spending to be able to afford it.
The White Rabbit has been frequently spotted docked in Keppel Bay, where it typically dwarfs even other superyachts.
Source: djmpence on Reddit
5. Goh Cheng Liang’s family owns 2 GCBs bought for S$137 million
Aside from some minor spending on luxury yachts, the wealthy Goh family also bought a Good Class Bungalow (GCB) along Garlick Avenue in Bukit Timah.
Source: Google Maps
GCBs are already the cream of the crop for Singapore’s housing, but the purchased plot has 101,550 square feet of freehold land, the size of one and a half football fields.
The plot is so large that it can be subdivided into five smaller GCBs or developed into a sprawling mansion.
Garlick Avenue in Oct 2022
Source: Google Earth
They bought the GCB for S$93 million in 2020 from the Lee family, which formerly owned the Thye Hong Biscuit Factory.
Mr Goh’s granddaughter also purchased another GCB at Queen Astrid Park in 2016.
The 35,011 square foot property changed hands for S$44.5 million.
Source: Google Maps
Goh Cheng Liang passes away on 12 Aug
It seems strange that Goh Cheng Liang — who passed away at the age of 98 on Tuesday (12 Aug) — was mostly unknown despite his rags-to-riches story and household brand name.
In comparison to the billionaires with loud online or even political presences, he barely had more than five different images on Google.
While his life beyond business and philanthropy remains immensely private, he has certainly left his mark, where countless buildings today bear the coat of paint he brought to Singapore all those decades ago.
He is survived by three children, eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, who remember him for his kindness and strength.
Also read: Billionaire Ong Beng Seng Is A Tycoon With Connections, Clinched F1 Deal Before CPIB Probe
Billionaire Ong Beng Seng Is A Tycoon With Connections, Clinched F1 Deal Before CPIB Probe
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and Aikly Paints & Chemical.
