Thai Tycoon Dhanin’s Older Brothers Emerge as Billionaires

Dhanin Chearavanont was known for years as Thailand’s second-richest man. As the chairman and public face of Charoen Pokphand Group, the country’s largest agricultural company, Dhanin was credited with a $12.3 billion fortune for managing his family’s interests in more than a dozen publicly traded companies, including a Thai mobile phone operator and the country’s 7-Eleven chain.

Regulatory filings with the Stock Exchange of Thailand show his lesser-known older brothers are also billionaires and share in the family’s wealth. Dhanin, 75, and his siblings Jaran Chiaravanont, Montri Jiaravanont and Sumet Jiaravanon have almost equal stakes in Charoen Pokphand, according to the filings. The brothers -- all of whom spell their last names differently -- each have a net worth of more than $2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.