Ong Kean Swan
Malaysian-Chinese businessman (born 1982)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter Ong Kean Swan (born 7 November 1982) is a Malaysian-Chinese businessman. His companies were essentially pyramid schemes, and have been banned in China, Malaysia and Taiwan due to alleged fraud.[1]
Peter Ong Kean Swan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 November 1982 |
| Occupation | Chief Executive Officer of Dream Success International |
| Ong Kean Swan | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 王梓驊 | ||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 王梓骅 | ||||||||||||||||
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Businesses
In 2007 Ong was working as a distributor for the multi-level marketing company Melilea, a company selling health and beauty products.[2] In a defamation lawsuit he was charged with breaking his distribution contract and disclosing proprietary information.[3] While the newspaper and other defendants were found to be not guilty of defamation, judgment was rendered against Ong and the other two distributors.[4] Ong answered the complaint, but chose not to appear in court.[4]
The Surewin4u corporate website says that in 2008 Peter Ong launched a successful coffee shop franchise concept.[5] That was the year that Peter Ong together with his brother Philip became involved with the Island Red Café (Red Island Coffee) franchise business.[6] The Ong brothers devised a multi-level marketing business plan for Island Red Café franchises through their company MLB International.[6] The pyramid scheme collapsed,[7][8] and in 2011, Ong Tong Swan (Philip Ong), Peter Ong's brother, as a director of Island Red Café, pleaded guilty to fraud.[9]
His company website indicates that Peter Ong had also been involved with a multi-level insurance programme,[5][10] before creating, in 2011, together with his brother Philip, the Surewin4u Group (圆梦赢家) to promote their gambling winning system.[5] In 2012, he founded Dream Success International, which now includes: Surewin4u, Dream Success Property, Dream Success Car Centre, Dream Success Jewelry and Dream Success Coffee.[11] On 25 September 2013, Dream Success International and website www.Surewin4u.com were listed by the Central Bank of Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia) as engaging in unlicensed activities.[12][13] After the Taiwanese government closed down the Taiwan branch of Dream Success International in September 2014 leaving thousands of "investors" without recourse,[14][15] Ong Kean Swan said there was nothing he could do ("圆梦无力回天").[13] In early 2015, Dream Winners and Surewin4u were widely revealed as a multi-level pyramid scam that operated not only in Malaysia and Taiwan, but also in Singapore and China.[16][17][18][19]
Because he could not be found, his surrogates in Singapore[20] were sued by a defrauded investor in 2017. The defendants settled out of court.[21][1] Estimates of Singapore investors' losses are as high as 50 million Singapore dollars (US $36.7 million).[21]
Life
Ong's family came from Hui'an County, Fujian Province, China,[11] and Ong was born in November, in Penang.[22] He was born in 1982,[23] although some reports indicate 1983.[22] His company website indicates that he graduated in information technology from the University of Nottingham in England in 2003.[5]
In 2013, Ong was arrested for impersonating Perak royalty and using the title Tengku to which he was not entitled.[24]
At his thirty-first birthday celebration in November 2013, he was noted for his philanthropy.[22][23][25]
Honours
Pahang
Knight Companion of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (DIMP) - Dato' (2012)[26][11][27][28]
Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) - Dato' Sri (2013)[26]
