When it comes to wealthy weddings, the impression is that they are extremely luxurious and exquisite, and it will cost half a billion at every turn. Recently, the wedding of the daughter of a wealthy family broke everyone's cognition.
Recently, there was good news from the Eu Yan Sang family, and Yu Suyan announced that he had entered the marriage hall. Yu Suyan is the fifth generation of the Eu Yan Sang family and a veritable socialite.
The wedding was not custom-made jewelry or sky-high wedding dresses, it was quite low-key and simple, and there were not even celebrities and dignitaries, only 15 people including relatives attended.
Eu Yan Sang is one of the few century-old shops in Singapore, having been established in 1879 for 140 years. As a well-known family in Singapore, the Eu Yan Sang family is also considered to be an old money.
Although the family wealth is very strong, Yu Suyan has never shown off his wealth, but he doesn't care much about this aura.
Yu Suyan in life does not pursue famous brands, and even often chooses low-cost airlines when traveling, which is not at all like the style of rich daughters. Even her marriage is different from the strong alliance of traditional wealthy families, her husband is from an ordinary family, and the difference in family background has no impact on their relationship, which makes people see the other side of the family.
In fact, many wealthy daughters are not keen on luxury life, on the contrary, they are extremely frugal and have their own careers, and the word "celebrity" is just a label for them.
1.
/ The struggle of the daughter of a wealthy family:
"I don't want to be just 'that Eu Yan Sang girl'" /
Yu Suyan's great-grandfather, Yu Guangpei, was the founder of the long-established Chinese medicine store "Eu Yan Sang", and his great-grandfather was Yu Dongxuan, a well-known philanthropist in Singapore.
In 1879, the founder of the family, Yu Guangpei, started with Chinese herbal medicines and opened the first pharmacy, named "Rensheng". After his death in 1891, his son Yu Dong Xuan carried on the brand "Eu Yan Sang" and became a true business giant, building villas in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, starting with "Yu Yuan", and at its peak became one of the richest families in Southeast Asia.
▲A historical photo of the family business on the wall of Eu Yan Sang's company
However, the phrase "rich for no more than three generations" was fulfilled in this family, and the century-old golden signboard of "Eu Yan Sang" almost fell into a desperate situation because there was no successor.
And Yu Suyan's father, Yu Yiming, became the one who turned the tide. As the fourth generation of the family, he took on the role of Group President of Eu Yan Sang (who remained as Non-Executive Chairman after stepping down in 2017), overhauling Eu Yan Sang and re-integrating the scattered properties of the Eu Yan Sang.
▲ Yu Yiming, the fourth-generation head of the Eu Yan Sang family
Today, Eu Yan Sang has nearly 200 retail stores around the world, and its products are sold to more than 20 countries and regions around the world.
As the only daughter in the family, Yu Suyan is favored by her parents and brothers, so Yu Suyan can definitely be called a top celebrity, and she was once invited to participate in the world-famous Paris Ladies Ball.
▲ Yu Suyan (back row, from left) and eldest brother Yu Zaiqi, sister-in-law Takagi Sae, mother Zhou Songhua (front row, from left), grandfather Yu Wenwen and father Yu Yiming
Because the family is too famous, she will be named by the teacher when she is in school, which has been bothering her for a long time:
"People only know me because of my last name. I struggled for a long time because I didn't want to be just that Eu Yan Sang girl. ”
is different from those daughters of wealthy families who show off their lives in a high-profile way, Yu Suyan is extremely low-key, and she will make up a fake name for herself to make friends with others, just because she doesn't want to expose her wealthy background.
She once went on a trip with a friend, but the other party already knew her family background, and because she carried a suitcase without a famous brand to ridicule her for not having the aura of a celebrity, Yu Suyan cut off contact after the trip:
"People may think that my parents gave me a lot of money, but it's really not much. I don't fly on private jets, and I don't go to fashion shows every three days. I'm a little tired of associating with people who don't have a simple purpose. ”
Yu Suyan has been working hard to get rid of the shackles of the family, she did not join the development of the family business, but ran a business of her own.
Because she was exposed to human trafficking and prostitution in the Philippines in class, and Yu Suyan's parents happened to be invited to the Philippines to attend the wedding that year, she learned about the local situation firsthand.
She came up with the idea of starting a business to help a runaway girl in the Philippines, and she lived alone for five years in Manila, Philippines, in order to help women persecuted by human trafficking and prostitution rings.
After graduating, Yu Suyan set up her own social enterprise "Mei's Own". Mei's Own works with local artisans to teach traditional crafts to young girls, and Mei's Own sells handmade household items.
▲Yu Suyan showed the beach towels sold by Mei's Own to the girls in Manila
Rather than simply providing financial support, Yu Suyan hopes that they can earn a Xi by learning to make and sell handicrafts, so that they can earn a living.
Many relatives and friends expressed their incomprehension about Yu Suyan giving up a pampered life and not going to work in the family business, but choosing such a thankless career, but she had her own ideas:
"I'm very happy that we can help them change their lives for the better, because I haven't wasted my time in vain. I'm proud of myself, and so am my family. ”
Yu Suyan has a prominent family background that others envy and a wealth that cannot be spent in a lifetime, but the label of a celebrity is more like a constraint for Yu Suyan, but fortunately, she has an independent mind and has found the direction of her life's efforts.
2.
/ As a top celebrity ceiling,
She has worn 80 yuan pants for 20 years /
Harvard graduate, the second generation of the highest power in the family, sitting on nearly 300 billion family assets...... The daughter of a wealthy family with so many dazzling titles is Guo Huiguang.
Guo Huiguang's father is Guo Henian, who has the title of "Asian Sugar King", and such as Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing International Trade Center, Arowana Edible Oil, etc., these are their family industries.
When she was still in school, her family had too much money to spend, but in order to make her develop good Xi, her monthly pocket money was the same as that of a child in an ordinary family.
So although she is the ceiling of a top celebrity, she has achieved the most down-to-earth, which is inseparable from the educational atmosphere of the original family.
Just when other celebrity daughters were posting Hermes bags on social platforms, she posted a video of "What is in the bag for 20 yuan":
Not only that, but her usual travel outfit is also quite simple and low-key, and she doesn't care about any big brands and luxury goods to wear, and a pair of pants for 80 yuan has been worn for 20 years:
Guo Huiguang also shared his daily life very warmly, such as the decoration of the home at Christmas, and the practice of yoga with Xi children......
Although Guo Huiguang's husband is also a wealthy son, the two have three views that are very compatible: thrifty and simple. They go out to take the subway, and they like to eat street stalls when they go out.
As for her simple lifestyle, she once said in an interview that she believes that a simple life can allow her to focus more on work and family, and can allow her to better understand and pay attention to the needs of employees and guests.
Not only does she live a very simple life, but she is also very low-key. is different from the idle of the rich second generation, she has a clear plan for her future.
As a student, she studied Xi very seriously and was admitted to Harvard University with excellent grades.
After graduating from Harvard, Guo worked at JPMorgan Chase & Co., then joined the family business, working as a reporter for the South China Morning Post, and a year later became executive director and then chief executive. Now he has surpassed the three elder brothers of the long house and has become the ruler of the family property, Shangri-La Hotel.
In the process of running the hotel, he not only actively expands the business territory, does everything himself, but also goes deep into the grassroots, such as cleaning the guest rooms and arranging theme parties:
In addition to her achievements in the hospitality industry, she is also passionate about philanthropy. The Shangri-La Philanthropy Foundation was established to provide assistance and support to vulnerable groups in the Asia-Pacific region.
It is precisely because he does not like to show off his wealth and status that Guo Huiguang, who does things in a low-key manner, can achieve today's career. Therefore, Guo Huiguang's success not only stems from her background, but also lies in her talent and hard work.
3.
/ With a net worth of over 10 billion, she doesn't love big names and only loves to wear cheongsam /
The movie "Crazy Rich Money", which is based on the theme of Chinese billionaires, has a mysterious rich manor hidden in the center of Singapore, but it cannot be identified by GPS.
The manor in the movie is the former residence of banker Mr. Tan Chin Chuan, and now the owner of this manor is the only woman on the list of Singapore's richest people - Zhou Yuqin.
As a wealthy queen, Zhou Yuqin, after Mr. Chen Zhenchuan died at the age of 98, as a granddaughter, she inherited the business left by her grandfather. Skipping her father and directly taking over the family's tens of billions of business empires is a recognition of her ability.
On the 2023 Forbes Singapore Rich List, Zhou Yuqin and her family ranked 33rd with 1.35 billion US dollars (about 9.88 billion yuan).
"I'm Zhou Yuqin, and I like challenges. Born in such a wealthy family, Zhou Yuqin did not enjoy a life of lying down and winning.
After graduating from the National University of Singapore, she worked alone in a law firm before joining the family office Tecity Group at the invitation of her grandfather.
In 2003, Chow Yuk Kam was officially appointed as the company's chairman, and she tried to buy Robinson Group and Raffles Hotels, but both failed. Zhou Yuqin gradually grew and matured through constant setbacks and failures. Five years later, she carefully planned and launched a buyout war for the Straits Trading Company, eventually buying the Straits Trade for $1.56 billion and selling the Straits Trading building.
The building was a landmark, and the sale of it caused a lot of controversy at the time, and the reason why Zhou Yuqin sold it was precisely because it was flashy and worthless.
It is precisely because of her low-key and pragmatic personality that she has led the family office to develop rapidly. She invests in real estate and hospitality, with assets across Asia and Australia, and doubles her assets by investing in high-value companies......
She has been selected as one of the 50 Most Influential Asian Business Women by Forbes, and has won the Outstanding Businessman Award, the Singapore Merit Medal, and the "Star of Honor", Singapore's highest honor award for female entrepreneurs.
With great wealth and status, Zhou Yuqin still keeps a low profile. She prefers all kinds of handmade custom cheongsams to all kinds of big-name haute couture, just because she "doesn't have to worry about what to wear every day".
She is not interested in any luxury bags and precious jewelry, an antique watch of unknown brand has been worn for more than ten years, and she usually sits in the most inconspicuous Lexus when she goes out for talks, wearing a pair of black high heels that are the most common, and carrying a bag without any logo.
She used the cheongsam as a battle robe and worked in the business world for 30 years: "I don't want my epitaph to say only beautiful skin and afternoon tea. ”
She doesn't need the decoration of a luxury brand, she stands elegantly in the crowd in a cheongsam, and she is a real strong woman in the business world.
4.
/Epilogue/
In everyone's eyes, the life of the top Bai Fumei is fame and fortune and halo, in fact, most of them who were born with a golden soup spoon live by family honor.
Like Yu Suyan, who is still a minority, she did not choose to become a rich second generation with a worry-free life, but dared to step out of her comfort zone and live without relying on family glory.
And Guo Huiguang is low-key, willing to start from an ordinary job like a financial reporter, even if he becomes the successor of hundreds of billions of family assets in the future, he can go deep into the grassroots to familiarize himself with the front-line business.
There is also Zhou Yuqin, she does not pursue flashy decorations, but loves to wear cheongsam, she pays more attention to the improvement of inner quality and self-worth, rather than external show-off and vanity.
Compared with those daughters of the family who often brush up their presence through media platforms and frequent visits to fashion social venues, they can be called real ladies who work hard for their careers in a low-key manner.
For them who were born in a wealthy family, whether they start their own business or inherit the family business, they are a career that they have struggled for, and they have more say in their own lives than the daughters of the family who only know how to show off their wealth, which is the most valuable wealth.