Tan Kah Kee was a prominent wealthy businessman. He spent large amounts of money building schools in various places. However, he himself led a simple life. Mao Zedong thought highly of him and commented that he was "a banner of the overseas Chinese and national pride"
Background
Tan Kah Kee was a Chinese businessman, community leader and philanthropist active in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and various Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Xiamen, and Guangzhou. He was a prominent figure in the overseas Chinese community of Southeast Asia in the 20th century, and was responsible for gathering much support from the community to aid China in major events such as the Xinhai Revolution (1911), the Kuomintang's Northern Expedition (1926-1928), and the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Apart from donating most of his assets and earnings to aid China in those major events, Tan also helped to set up funds in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, and contributed heavily to the establishment of several schools in Southeast Asia and Fujian, including Xiamen University.
Career
After his father's business collapsed in 1903, Tan started his own business and built an empire from rubber plantations and manufacturing, sawmills, canneries, real estate, import and export brokerage, ocean transport to rice trading. His business was at its prime from 1912 to 1914, where he was known as the "Henry Ford of the Malaya community", both in Malaya and in Fujian.
Tan was one of the 110 founding members of Tao Nan School in Singapore. He set up the Jimei Schools (now Jimei University) in 1913. In 1919, he set up The Chinese High School (now the High School Section of Hwa Chong Institution) in Singapore. While in 1921, he set up Xiamen University and financially supported it until the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China took over in 1937.
Politics
Tan Kah Kee was a serious patriot