Scion Of The Times

KUOK MENG RU has a knack for helping music companies with long histories take big strides into the digital age. But when it comes to business, the CEO of BandLab Technologies still relies on good ol’ values that’ve worked for generations in his family, which happens to be one of Asia’s richest.

- Jasmine Teo

The Moneymaker:

KUOK MENG RU, 29, managing director of Swee Lee, Southeast Asia’s largest music retailer. Since acquiring it in 2012, the Singapore PR has reportedly doubled the sales of the 71-year-old company, launched an e-commerce platform, and expanded it to 13 shops across Southeast Asia. The latest is the one-month-old 5,000 sq ft flagship store at Star Vista that, in addition to a wide range of musical instruments, also includes a hipster-cool lifestyle retail section and a ‘gram-worthy café. The amateur guitarist and singer, who went to school and grew up in the UK, is also the chief executive and co-founder of BandLab Technologies, a Singapore startup that most famously acquired a 49 per cent stake in Rolling Stone magazine last year (and is reportedly in talks to acquire the other 51 per cent). To add on to his illustrious CV, Meng is also a co-creator of BandLab, a cloud-based app and social network for musicians connect to create music. This passion for business runs in the family — dad is palm oil tycoon Kuok Khoon Hong, the ninth richest man in Singapore according to Forbes, while Meng’s grandfather is Robert Kuok, Malaysia’s richest man.

HOME IS: A house around Farrer Road.

HIS RIDE IS: “I take Uber quite a lot. I occasionally drive — I have a Mini — but I prefer not to drive. Because I get more things done. I like to use my phone a lot, and when I drive, I can’t use my phone or I’ll get into trouble!”