Ramon Ang: Wealth, Business Empire, and Life Outside Work

Ramon Ang is undoubtedly one of the most well-known and admired billionaires in the Philippines. Fellow business leaders and those in the general public have lauded him for his words and nation-building efforts.

According to the most recent metrics, the Filipino-Chinese industrialist is currently the third richest Filipino. He heads arguably the country's most diversified conglomerate, but it was his generosity during and after the pandemic, as well as his company's infrstructure projects, that have endeared him to many Filipinos.

The CEO, President, and Vice Chairman of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has become one of the country's most revered and enigmatic billionaires for his vision and well-publicized philanthropy. Here's everything we know about Ramon Ang.

Net worth: $3.4 billion (P193 billion)

Age: 69

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In His Youth

Ramon See Ang is a self-made billionaire through and through. Born on January 14, 1954, he credits his days working at his father's car repair shop as a kid for his work ethic. When he was attending the Far Eastern University (FEU), where he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, Ang was a working student who would do various odd jobs to support himself and his schooling. These experiences built the foundation for his business acumen.

After college, RSA, as he's called by his employees, followed in his father's footsteps by setting up his own car business along Abad Santos in the late '70s. Ang focused on importing, trading, and selling luxury Japanese vehicles, truck engines, and other automobile parts. Soon after, he would meet a certain Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. through the latter's son, Mark, who was also a big car enthusiast. Ang and Cojuangco came to bond over their passion for collecting and restoring vintage cars. They'd become lifelong friends.

The two had such a strong relationship that Cojuangco later appointed Ang as manager of Northern Cement Corp. When Cojuangco went into exile after the 1986 EDSA Revolution, Ang took care of the company in his absence, helping turn it into quite a profitable business. Cojuango eventually returned to lead San Miguel and later recruited RSA to be his vice chairman. Ang eventually became president and COO.

Ramon Ang's Business Empire

Ang became vice chairman of SMC in 1999 and later its president and COO in 2002. Under his leadership, he propelled San Miguel to new heights, becoming one of the country's most diversified conglomerates over the past two decades. From its roots as a brewer, San Miguel became a leader in food and beverages, energy, infrastructure, fuel, and oil. SMC has also dipped its toes in other industries, like real estate, cement, automobiles, and banking.

Among the most notable businesses in its portfolio are San Miguel Brewery, San Miguel Pure Foods, Ginebra San Miguel, Petron Corporation, San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corporation, San Miguel Properties Inc., SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., and SMC Infrastructure Anchor Insurance Brokerage Corp., among others. Ang maintained all these while also helped to turn Eagle Cement into an industry titan. San Miguel eventually took over the cement business and struck deals with companies like Meralco, as well.

RSA also serves as president and CEO of Top Frontier Investment Holdings, Inc. Together with chairman Iñigo Zobel, Ang stirred the company towards stakes in mining, packaging, property development, and more.

In 2012, Cojuango decided to sell all his San Miguel shares to Ang and Top Frontier. RSA would come to own 368.517 million shares in SMC. Top Frontier currently has a 61-percent share in the corporation, making it SMC's largest shareholder. Ang and SMC would go on to invest in some ambitious big-ticket infrastructure projects, too, like the New International Airport, Aeorocity ecozone in Bulacan, Pasig River Expressway, and the Skyway, among others.

Ang's Impact on Philippine Economy and Society

It was during the pandemic that RSA perhaps made the biggest impact as one of the country's most charitable billionaires. Through SMC, he made some pretty big personal donations to the medical and underprivileged communities. These donations were said to have clocked in at more than P1 billion, covering alcohol, fuel, medical equipment, cash assistance, and more. He waived toll fees for front liners for all of SMC's toll roads, while SMC also purchased carabao's milk to feed impoverished areas in Metro Manila. The corporation also paid P8.77 billion in advanced taxes, concession, and contractual fees to the state.

Ang, through his RSA Foundation, has been partnering with non-profit organizations for years now. The foundation has committed to building hospitals, research centers, and more. In addition, RSA even established a scholarship grant program through his alma mater FEU. The business leader is also part of groups that led clean-ups of the Tullahan River and Pasig River, as well as improvement projects of  several waterways.

He has, of course, been widely recognized for these accomplishments. In 2019, for instance, he was honored with the Oustanding Filipino Award. Three years later, Ang was also awarded the Legion of Honor by the French Government for his service.

Outside the Boardroom

Of course, RSA still collects vintage cars. Among his most prized possessions are a TVR Griffith 200, Lagonda 3-Litre Coupe, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, and Shelby Cobra 289, among others. Clearly he's into convertibles.

Ang married Tessie, and together the couple has eight children. His son, John Paul serves as president of Eagle Cement while his daughter, Monica, is its finance officer. Cecille, on the other hand, manages the family's Diamond Hotel chain. One of Ang's other sons, the late Jomar Ang, was the chief financial officer of RSA Motors, the company that launched BMW cars in the country, before he passed away in 2020.