Harald Link (born 12 January 1955) is a Thai-German businessman, industrialist, and philanthropist. He is the chairman, CEO, and owner of

B.Grimm B.Grimm Group ( th, บี.กริม) is a multinational conglomerate founded in 1878, based in Bangkok, Thailand. The large-scale conglomerate is active in healthcare, energy, building and industrial systems, real estate, e-commerce, and tr ...

of Bangkok, Thailand. , his net worth is estimated to be US$3.3 billion. In 2020, Harald Link was ranked in Thailand and globally on the ''Forbes'' list of the world's billionaires.

Early life and education

Link was born in

Basel, Switzerland , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS), ...

, to Monika (Ruedt) and Dr. Gerhard Link, and grew up in Lübeck, Germany. In 1978, Link received an MBA from

University of St. Gallen A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

in Switzerland. In September 2016, Harald Link received an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from the Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi.

Career

Link came to

Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

in 1978 to join his uncle in managing the family firm,

, which had been acquired by his paternal grandfather Adolf Link in 1914. He has served as its chairman and chief executive officer since 1987. In July 2017, Link led the first IPO of a group company, listing the group's power unit B.Grimm Power PCL on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The company is traded under the ticket symbol BGRIM. The company is considered a major regional player in renewable energy, with hydroelectric, solar and wind projects in the region. In June 2018, Link announced the construction of Southeast Asia's largest solar energy plant in Vietnam at a ceremony with Thailand Prime Minister General

Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of Thailand since he ...

and Vietnamese Prime Minister

Nguyen Xuan Phuc Nguyễn () is the most common Vietnamese surname. Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as Nguyen. Nguyên (元）is a different word and surname. By some estimates 39 percent of Vietnamese people bear this s ...

. Since 1998, Link is an independent board director of Siam Cement Group and True Corporation, and serves as the President of the South-east Asian Equestrian Federation.

Philanthropy

One of Link's main philanthropic projects is a German programme for science education called The Little Scientist House, now taught in more than 13,000 Thai schools. In 2010, he became an elected member of the Council of the Thai Red Cross Society. In 2014, Link's organization

partnered with the World Wildlife Fund and its efforts to help recover Thailand’s tiger population. According to Thaizeit.de, for aiding the development of German-Thai trade and economic relations, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit First Class, which was given by Ambassador Dr. Hanns-Heinrich Schumacher.

Personal life

Link built the largest polo club in Thailand, the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club in Pattaya. His wife is a titled princess in

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarch ...

. The couple married April 1981 and have two children, Felix and Caroline, the former serving as president of the group's real estate company. Link reports that he is grooming his daughter Caroline to take over the family business.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Link, Harald Harald Link Harald Link Harald Link Harald Link Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1955 births Living people