Who Is Pham Thu Huong? Meet the Vietnamese Billionaire Richer Than Taylor Swift, Oprah and Beyoncé

Pham Thu Huong has moved into the ranks of the world's wealthiest people, but her name remains far less familiar globally than those of the celebrities she now surpasses in fortune.

The 57-year-old Vietnamese businesswoman, who serves as vice chairwoman of Vingroup, has grown her fortune alongside the conglomerate's rising share price. Her estimated wealth reached £3.18 billion ($4.3 billion) on September 7, 2026, according to Forbes' real-time billionaire rankings, putting her ahead of Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

From Kyiv to Billionaire Ranks

Huong is one of the founders of Vingroup, one of Vietnam's largest conglomerates, with interests spanning real estate, retail, healthcare and other sectors. She has worked alongside her husband, Vingroup chairman Pham Nhat Vuong, since his early entrepreneurial ventures in Ukraine before the couple returned to Vietnam.

Huong holds a master's degree in international law from the National University of Kyiv. Vingroup's major businesses include electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast, property developer Vinhomes and hotel chain Vinpearl.

VinFast has expanded its manufacturing footprint into India and Indonesia. VinFast went public on Nasdaq in 2023 through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), while Vinpearl was listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange in 2025.

In 2020, Huong and Vuong also founded the VinFuture Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on promoting innovation in areas including health services and sustainable development. The couple has three children together.

Pham Thu Huong Surpasses Oprah, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé

Huong's fortune has climbed rapidly enough to make her Southeast Asia's second-richest woman, behind Indonesia's Marina Budiman, who has an estimated £4.44 billion ($6 billion). Huong has now ranked 1,017th globally with £3.25 billion ($4.4 billion).

That places her above Winfrey, whose fortune was estimated at £2.51 billion ($3.4 billion), ranking her 1,262nd worldwide. Swift had an estimated £1.48 billion ($2 billion) and ranked 2,086th, while Beyoncé had £739 million ($1 billion) and ranked 3,335th.

Huong's rise is particularly notable because Forbes only recognised her as a billionaire in February 2026. Her fortune has since been propelled higher by the sharp increase in Vingroup's share price.

Her net worth has since fluctuated between $4.3B and $4.5B on Forbes' real-time list. Forbes' latest profile lists her fortune at $4.3 billion as of September 7.

How Pham Thu Huong Built Her Vingroup Fortune

Huong directly owns around 341 million Vingroup shares and 148.3 million LPBank shares.

Her VIC stake represents about 4.4% of Vingroup, while her LPBank holding amounts to about 4.97% of the bank.

Vingroup shares have been a major driver of her rising wealth. VietnamNet reported that VIC shares had risen more than elevenfold from the beginning of 2025 by late August, helping push Huong's estimated fortune to about £3.03 billion ($4.1 billion) at that point.

Her business interests extend beyond her role at Vingroup. Huong also serves as chairwoman of Green SM, the ride-hailing company founded by her husband, adding another business connection to the family's expanding corporate interests.

She became chairwoman of Green SM in March 2026 and continued to hold the position as of June. The scale of her fortune is closely linked to the value of the shares she owns, meaning her position on billionaire rankings can change as markets move.

Forbes notes that its real-time net worth figures reflect changes in share prices and other assets at a given point in time.