Lim Kok Thay stepped down as CEO of Genting, the casino and resorts conglomerate, in February 2025, a role he had held for almost two decades, according to his Forbes profile1. He remains executive chairman of the group1.
Forbes describes Genting as a casino and resorts conglomerate with a global footprint, and lists Lim as its executive chairman1. His listed source of wealth is casinos, and his residence is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia1. The profile records earlier list positions, including number 14 on Malaysia's 50 Richest in 2025 and number 1,947 on the global billionaires list that year1.
The profile ties Lim to several other holdings and events:
- His assets include Empire Resorts, the parent company of loss-making Resorts World Catskills1.
- Genting Singapore is revamping its Resorts World Sentosa as part of an ongoing S$6.8 billion ($5 billion) expansion, which will include two new hotels, a four-storey retail and dining podium and a waterfront promenade1.
- A long-running family feud over the empire's wealth and businesses, which include a palm-oil unit, was resolved in 20201.
Separately, the profile covers his cruise interests. It says Genting Hong Kong, controlled by Lim, filed to wind up the operator of Star Cruises after it failed to secure financing and its German shipyard unit MV Werften went into insolvency1. It states that Lim stepped down as chairman and CEO of Genting Hong Kong days after the cash-strapped operator filed to wind up the company, and that in 2022 the company filed a winding up petition, with Lim stepping down as chairman1. It adds that he launched a new cruise line from Singapore four months after winding down Genting Hong Kong, formerly Star Cruises1. The profile also says he faced an uphill battle in a bid to win a Macau casino license, competing against six incumbent gaming companies, and that he agreed to sell a 15.5-acre waterfront property in Miami to an investment group led by U.S. developer Terra for $1.2 billion1.
No successor as Genting CEO, no effective date within February 2025 and no reason for the change are given in the profile1.
What it means for players
Genting's casino and resort operations include Genting Highlands in Malaysia and Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, both covered in the site's guide to casinos and integrated resorts in Asia. A change at the top of the parent company does not by itself alter entry rules, game offerings or house rules at those properties, and no such changes are reported1. The profile notes the S$6.8 billion ($5 billion) Resorts World Sentosa revamp, which points to continued construction and refurbishment at that property1. For players comparing venues, the site's Genting Highlands vs Resorts World Sentosa and Asia casino destinations compared pages set out the differences.
What happens next
The profile gives no date for a handover of the CEO role beyond February 2025, and no named successor1. It records that Lim remains executive chairman1.
Sources1 sources
- Lim Kok Thay, forbes.com
