Lau Cho Kun (also known as Tiong Hiew King) is a Malaysian businessman, the billionaire Founder and Executive Chairman of Rimbunan Hijau Group, a massive, privately held conglomerate specializing in timber, palm oil, and media. His career is rooted in forestry and resource extraction, beginning with a logging contract in 1967 in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Lau's philosophy centers on vertical integration (controlling the entire supply chain from forest to finished product), aggressive acquisition, and international expansion (operating in over 30 countries). His immense wealth is tied to the successful exploitation and management of Malaysia's vast forest resources and the subsequent diversification into palm oil and media.

• Rimbunan Hijau Group (Founder & Executive Chairman): The core private asset, a massive conglomerate spanning logging, palm oil plantations, media (Sin Chew Daily), and real estate.
• Resource Focus: His success is built on scale extraction and vertical integration in the timber and palm oil supply chains (major global commodity).
• Media Ownership: He controls several major Chinese-language newspapers (e.g., Sin Chew Daily) in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
• Controversy: His career is heavily marked by controversy over illegal logging and environmental damage in the Sarawak rainforest (allegations he has consistently denied).

Lau Cho Kun's strategic genius was his commitment to industrial scale in forestry. He founded Rimbunan Hijau Group in the late 1960s, quickly expanding his logging concessions in Sarawak. His move into palm oil plantations and media (acquiring Sin Chew Daily in 1988) provided stability and diversification.

His structural contribution is tied to the successful industrialization of Malaysia's forestry and palm oil sectors. However, his empire is globally known for the controversy over alleged illegal logging in Papua New Guinea and Sarawak, which has led to high-profile activism by environmental groups. His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the global commodity and resource extraction sector.

Lau Cho Kun's social impact is structural, stemming from Rimbunan Hijau Group's role as a massive employer (thousands of jobs) and foundational supplier of timber and palm oil globally. His control over major Chinese-language newspapers provides him with significant media influence.

His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives. His career is often cited for illustrating the high-stakes conflicts between industrial resource extraction and environmental sustainability in Southeast Asia.

Lau Cho Kun maintains the professional, composed style of an industrial executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored business suits. His aesthetic reflects serious authority and stability, typical of a leader in the high-capital resource sector.

Residing in Sarawak, Malaysia, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to industrial scale, resource control, and long-term asset hold.