T ony Tan Caktiong is a self-made Filipino billionaire and the founder and chairman of Jollibee Foods Corporation, one of the world's largest and fastest-growing fast-food companies. The son of Chinese immigrants, he started his business in 1975 with two ice cream parlors. He noticed that his customers were asking for hot food, so he added burgers and fried chicken to the menu. These items became more popular than the ice cream, so he pivoted his business to focus on fast food, founding the Jollibee brand in 1978.

Jollibee, with its mascot of a large, happy bee, became a massive success in the Philippines, famously outselling the global giant McDonald's in its home market. Tan Caktiong has since built Jollibee Foods into a global powerhouse through both the international expansion of the Jollibee brand and a series of major acquisitions of other restaurant chains. His company's portfolio now includes the American burger chain Smashburger and the coffee chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. He is a national icon in the Philippines, celebrated for his entrepreneurial vision.