, Columnists
Billionaire Charoen's Unifying Bet
A retail empire that stretches back into logistics and bottling has some merit.
This article is for subscribers only.
After five years of frenzied dealmaking, Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi's shopping bag is looking full. But for a school dropout whose first business was to hang around his dad's oyster omelette shop collecting bottle caps, there's no telling where this tycoon's ambition will take him next.
Charoen's last-visited destination is Vietnam, where his flagship Thai Beverage Pcl is close to scooping up a majority stake in Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp.