Aw Boon Haw (1882–1954) made his first fortune with Tiger Balm, which he co-developed with his younger brother Aw Boon Par in 1918. Through artful packages and clever marketing, the brothers made their versatile balm a household standard, first in their native Rangoon, then Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, and the rest of Southeast Asia. Aw Boon Haw made his second fortune with a chain of newspapers he published in Singapore, Malaysia, Burma, Hong Kong, China, and Thailand.

 

Early on, Eng Aun Tong—the parent company that produced and marketed Tiger Balm—took on philanthropic works. The Aw brothers gave away more than half of their companies’ income each year. Aw Boon Haw built hospitals, schools, and provided care for the elderly from the late 1920s until his death in 1954. His projects included: hospitals, colleges, and more than 300 primary schools in mainland China and Southeast Asia.