S yed Mokhtar AlBukhary is a reclusive and powerful Malaysian billionaire who is one of his country's most prominent and influential tycoons. He is the founder and chairman of the AlBukhary Group, a massive and highly diversified conglomerate. His is a classic rags-to-riches story. He grew up in poverty and started his business career in the 1970s as a rice trader. He has since built a sprawling business empire with interests in a wide range of key sectors of the Malaysian economy.

The AlBukhary Group has major interests in transportation and logistics (with control of ports and airports), power generation, construction, and real estate. He is known for his close ties to the Malaysian political establishment, which critics allege has helped him to secure lucrative government contracts and privatizations. He is also one of Malaysia's most prominent philanthropists, having established the AlBukhary Foundation, which has a strong focus on education and has built a major Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur.