Early Life
Jeffrey Cheah Fook Ling was born in Pusing, Perak, Malaysia, in 1945 or 1946. He pursued a business degree at Victoria University (now Footscray Institute of Technology) in Melbourne, Australia.
Rise to Success
Cheah began his career as an accountant. In 1974, he founded a tin-mining company with a start-up capital of RM100,000. He transformed Sunway Group into a leading conglomerate with diverse interests in various sectors, including property development, construction, healthcare, education, hospitality, and retail. The Sunway Group's revenue for the financial year ended December 31, 2024, reached a record-high of $1.76 billion. The market capitalization of Sunway as of November 2025 is $8.27 billion.
Key Business Strategies
Sunway Group follows a unique Build-Own-Operate business model. The Group's commitment to sustainability is reflected in its integration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its business strategy.
Philanthropy
Cheah founded the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, which has awarded over RM967 million (approximately $228.5 million) in scholarships and grants to date, with a goal to award over RM1 billion worth of scholarships. In 2020, the Foundation committed USD 10 million to advance the sustainability agenda in Malaysia and Asia.
