Notable business figure, Fong Kah Kuen, better known as KK Fong, has died. He was 74 years old.
Fong, via his company Xpress Print, is known within the local financial community in the pre-Internet era got providing quick turnaround printing of time sensitive research reports, IPO prospectuses and annual reports.
In June 1999, instead of just supporting the listing of other companies Fong brought his company IPO as well.
In a bid to bring the company to a new era in the dotcom era, Fong renamed his company i-One.Net, with grand plans to deploy hundreds of internet-enabled kiosks on Orchard Road and other locations.
Fong, known to be a generous boss, paid top dollar to attract talent to help him expand into other activities such as producing corporate videos as well.
The dotcom fever made Fong worth $800 million at one point, earning him a spot among the ten richest persons in Singapore, before the bursting of the internet bubble brought him back to earth.
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In the subsequent years, Fong worked to clear debts and was also involved in some legal cases. At one point, he opened an eatery as well.
Xpress Print, the listed entity was renamed A-Smart Holdings in 2016.
Under new management and new controlling shareholders, Xpress Print remains an operating unit but the listed company has expanded into other areas such as events and property.
As indicated in A-Smart's annual report, it operates an investment business too, specifically, a 10% stake in Sheng Siong (China) Supermarket, which runs six stores in Kunming.
