KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 21): Hong Leong Group co-founder Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan has become the third Malaysian to make it to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index top 500 list.

As of Monday (Feb 21), Quek ranked number 496 on the list with a wealth of US$5.52 billion (about RM23.11 billion).

Quek made his debut on the list alongside the only other two Malaysians listed on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Robert Kuok and Tan Sri Dr Teh Hong Piow.

Kuok clawed back to be among the top 100 richest on the planet after adding US$916 million overnight to take his fortune to US$19.2 billion.

He ranked number 98 on the list. Year to date (YTD), he has added US$12.2 million to his wealth.

Meanwhile, Teh, the founder of Public Bank Bhd, came in to rank number 338 with a wealth of US$7.47 billion after adding US$235 million overnight. YTD, he has lost US$16.3 million.

Tesla co-founder and self-proclaimed “Technoking of Tesla” Elon Musk maintained his top spot with a total net worth of US$220 billion despite losing US$50.1 billion overnight.

In the second spot is the world’s former richest man, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, with a wealth of US$177 billion, losing US$15 billion overnight.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world’s 500 richest people.

The figures are updated at the close of every trading day in New York.