From ancient times to the present, people often say that "wealth is not more than three generations", which is used to describe the maintenance and passage of wealth is as short-lived as a flash in the pan. Did Zhang Meilan, the richest Chinese woman in Vietnam, also confirm the truth of this sentence? In the past, in the tide of Vietnam's economic take-off, she was like a fish in water and single-handedly created a prosperous "Zhangjiacheng." In the blink of an eye, the situation changed, but she stepped into a new but dangerous stage. Doesn't this also make people wonder how many people are lucky enough to avoid the hidden traps on the road to wealth?
Zhang Meilan can be said to be a typical grassroots counterattack. Born in 1956, she used to set up a stall with her mother at the Saigon market in Vietnam, selling trinkets and cosmetics. Such days, although ordinary, are also stable. With the reform and opening up of Vietnam in 1986, it seemed to open a new chapter in her destiny. Zhang Meilan is no longer satisfied with small business, and her business acumen begins to drive her to higher goals.
Vietnam at that time, like Saigon in her childhood memories, was full of possibilities. Truong My Lan first ventured into the restaurant and hospitality industry, and as Vietnam's economy rose, so did her career. Soon after, she set her sights on real estate, a piece of gold. Ho Chi Minh City, as the economic capital of Vietnam, has naturally become her main battlefield. Just like Li Ka-shing once built Hong Kong into "Li Jiacheng", Zhang Meilan also laid her own business empire here.
Turning hands into clouds and covering hands into rain, in Ho Chi Minh City's most prosperous Nguyen Hue Avenue, Truong My Lan bought one piece of land after another. Union Square, Times Square, VTP Office Building, Duxton Hotel...... These dazzling names all mark her success. What's more, she also built the luxurious Windsor Hotel, which became the shining pearl of the city.
Just when her career was in full swing, the situation changed abruptly. In 2022, Truong My Lan was arrested on suspicion of financial fraud, an incident that shocked the whole of Vietnam and even attracted widespread attention from the international community. The investigation revealed that she circumvented Vietnam's regulatory policies by controlling Saigon Commercial Bank and issuing a large number of bonds in violation of regulations. This series of operations allowed her to accumulate a huge amount of wealth in a short period of time, but it also laid the root of the curse.
From January to June 2022, Ho Chi Minh City's housing prices rose by more than 20%, the highest in Asia. In order to curb the overheating of the real estate market, the Vietnamese government has started a series of regulatory measures. And Zhang Meilan is a leaf in this storm, and her business empire is beginning to show cracks. To make matters worse, in the same year, she was formally sentenced to death, a rarity in Vietnam and around the world, especially for a business magnate like her.
All this development is not only the tragedy of her personal fate, but also reflects the contradictions and challenges of the whole society in the face of rapid economic development. Zhang Meilan, like a modern version of the tragedy, shows the rise and fall of a business giant. From a market vendor to the counterattack of the richest woman, and then to the final legal sanction, her life trajectory vividly depicts how in the rapidly developing economic environment, a person is tempted by huge wealth in the turbulent business sea, and finally goes to the abyss of self-destruction.
In Zhang Meilan, it is not difficult for us to find that her success is not accidental. Her business acumen and adventurous spirit led to her rapid rise in the early days of Vietnam's reform and opening up. It is this excessive ambition and greed that has also led her to lose her way in the ever-changing market economy. From a small street vendor to a luxury hotel owner to being behind bars, Zhang Meilan is full of drama and lessons.
This story also reminds us that in the tide of globalization and market economy, both individuals and businesses must learn to conduct business under the premise of abiding by the law and ethics. Greed and an excessive desire to expand often lead to unforeseen risks and even catastrophic consequences. Zhang Meilan's case is not only a personal punishment for her, but also a warning to the entire business community.
In Zhang Meilan, we see a complete cycle from zero to the peak, and then from the peak to the bottom. It's not just about wealth and power, it's about humanity, greed and fate. As the old saying goes: "The rich cannot be lewd, the poor cannot be moved, and the mighty cannot be bent." This passage is not only a warning to power and wealth, but also a warning to everyone who struggles in a market economy. Zhang Meilan's life warns us that we should keep a clear head and firm moral beliefs in the pursuit of success and wealth.