Thai brothers Chia Ek Chor and Choncharoen Chearavanont opened a shop in 1921 selling seeds they imported from China. This humble enterprise grew into one of the world's largest producers of animal feed, a company called Charoen Pokphand Group.

Over the last century, the business expanded beyond agriculture into the telecommunications, automotive and property development industries, including the 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores.

Chia Ek Chor's son Dhanin Chearavanont (pictured) was chair and CEO for 48 years before stepping down in 2017. Now Dhanin's eldest son, Soopakij, and youngest, Suphachai, serve as the chairman and CEO, respectively. The family has a net worth of $44.1 billion, according to Bloomberg.

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