Eliyathamby

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Eliyathamby was a Singaporean businessman of Indian descent who is considered to be an Indian pioneer of early Singapore, and a renowned collector of antique cars.

[edit] Biography

Eliyathamby was a descendant of the Jaffna royal dynasty, and a wealthy Singaporean. He is credited with setting up the insurance agency of Singapore, and he did so by taking over the running of the Great Eastern Holdings company, which was and still is the largest life insurance group and the market leader in both Singapore and Malaysia.

Mr. Eliyathamby also had several other property investments such as plantations, factories, mills and hotels. He also owned several commercial properties in Singapore and Malaysia, including Orchard Towers, Plaza Kotaraya and the International Building. A few years before his death, Forbes Asia magazine named him as one of Singapore's richest men, with a total net worth estimated at USD $9.6 billion.

Mr. Eliyathamy was an avid car collector with a variety of cars ranging from Rolls-Royces to Armstrong Siddleys. His collection was so great it attracted several visits from the Sultan of Brunei. As one of Eliyathamby's close friends, Mr Rajarathnam, stated:

"His cars were fascinating, they were his passion. He was never boastful or arrogant. He is what an ideal Singaporean should be: rich and humble."

Eliyathamby, in addition to being wealthy, was highly guarded about his private life, and used his considerable influence in Singapore to suppress any publications or media references to himself and his family, making details about his life scarce.

[edit] References

Pugalenthi Sr. (1999). Indian pioneers of Singapore. Singapore: VJ Times International. ISBN 978-981-221-064-7.
Moses Lim. Eliyathamby.
K. Vijayendran. Jaffna royal dynasty.
Milka Singh. The Great Eastern Assurance story.
Ranjini. Vijayanagara Abishekam.