Success isn’t always about following the path laid out before you. Sometimes, it’s about forging your own, even if it means breaking away from everything familiar.
For Anthony Tan, the co-founder and CEO of Grab, this journey was deeply personal. Born into one of Malaysia’s wealthiest families, it would have been easy to follow the legacy of his father and grandfather.
M’sian man turned a humble taxi app into a RM8bil success
But Anthony’s heart pulled him in another direction—a direction that led him to transform the lives of millions across Southeast Asia.
Anthony’s father, Tan Heng Chew, serves as the president of Tan Chong Motor, a renowned automotive company his grandfather built in the 1950s.
Raised with the expectation of stepping into this legacy, Anthony knew the weight of tradition. However, while studying at Harvard Business School in 2009, he met Tan Hooi Ling, a fellow Malaysian who would change the course of his life.
The two shared more than just a nationality; they shared a deep passion for solving social issues. They often discussed the challenges women faced with Malaysia’s taxi services, feeling a sense of duty to create something that could make a difference. This marked the birth of MyTeksi—a project that wasn’t just business; it was personal.
Overcoming the pain of his father’s disapproval
With a dream to build safer transportation options for women, Anthony and Hooi Ling crafted a business plan and entered a startup competition.
Their dedication earned them second place and $25,000 USD (RM107,000) in seed money—a small amount compared to the wealth of Anthony’s family, reported CNBC.
But instead of turning to his father’s resources, Anthony poured his heart into the venture, investing his own savings.
Even his mother believed in him, becoming his first investor. Yet, when he shared his plans with his father, he faced resistance.
“My father said, ‘Hey, I don’t think it’s going to work out, so please don’t disturb me about this anymore,’” Anthony remembered.
It was a painful moment, feeling the sting of doubt from someone whose approval meant everything. But instead of giving up, he turned that pain into fuel, determined to prove that his dream was worth fighting for.
Building Grab from a cramped room in KL
The early days of Grab were far from glamorous. Operating out of a cramped, stuffy room in Kuala Lumpur without air conditioning or reliable internet, the team faced hurdle after hurdle.
But Anthony was undeterred. He felt the weight of every person who needed safer transportation, and that weight pushed him to go the extra mile—literally.
Anthony travelled across Southeast Asia, from Vietnam to the Philippines, often waking up before dawn to meet taxi drivers at gas stations. He offered free coffee and made personal connections, pouring his energy into building trust and growing Grab’s network.
“Between the flying—two to three cities a week—and working 15, sometimes 20 hours a day, it was tough,” he later reflected. “But I knew we were building something that mattered.”
Grab’s expansion across Southeast Asia
Today, the company Anthony founded has grown beyond its humble origins. Grab now operates in eight Southeast Asian countries, offering everything from food delivery to digital banking, impacting over 35 million lives and providing 13 million gig jobs.
In 2023, Grab reported over $2 billion USD (RM8 billion) in revenue after its Nasdaq listing in December 2021. But for Anthony, it was never just about numbers; it was about the people and the stories behind them.
