Background and career
Tony Tan Caktiong, (simplified Chinese: 陈觉中; traditional Chinese: 陳覺中; pinyin: Chén Juézhōng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Kak-tiong; born January 5, 1953) is a Filipino businessman and investor. He is the founder and chairman of Jollibee Foods Corporation, and the co-chairman of DoubleDragon Properties. Forbes listed him as the 14th-richest person in the Philippines in 2026, with an estimated net worth of US$1.1 billion.
Tan Caktiong was born on January 5, 1953, in the then-undivided province of Davao (in now Davao del Sur) to Chinese immigrant parents from Fujian. His father worked in a restaurant in China and as a cook in a Buddhist monastery in Manila before setting up his restaurant in Davao City. Tony Tan Caktiong attended high school at Chiang Kai Shek College and graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in chemical engineering in 1975. Tan had initially planned his fledgling nascent company to be an ice cream parlor when he founded Jollibee, and then added dishes such as hamburgers, french fries, and fried chicken.
Tan Caktiong founded the fast-food chain Jollibee in 1978 after starting it as an ice cream parlor in 1975. Expansion and acquisition of Greenwich Pizza Corp. enabled it to enter the pizza-pasta segment. In early 2006, Jollibee Foods Corporation bought out the remaining shares of its partners in Greenwich Pizza Corporation, equivalent to a 20% stake, for P384 million in cash. As of August 2008, Tan Caktiong's Jollibee has 1,480 stores worldwide, including Jollibee, Red Ribbon, Chowking, Greenwich, Manong Pepe's and Mang Inasal.
In 2012, Tan Caktiong, through his holding company, Honeystar Holdings Corporation, invested in Injap Land Corporation, a property company founded by Edgar Sia II. With Tan Caktiong's entry, the company was renamed DoubleDragon Properties Corporation.
Tan Caktiong is married to Grace (née Ang). He has 3 children. He is also the brother of Ernesto Tanmantiong, who is the president and CEO of Jollibee Foods Corporation.
Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines, 2004 Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year, 2004 Gawad Mabini with the rank of Commander (Dakilang Kasugo),2016 Honorary doctorate from the University of Santo Tomas, 2018
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
