Read the complete write-up of Lawrence Wong net worth, age, wife, children, height, family, parents, salary, politics, party as well as other information you need to know.
Introduction
Lawrence Wong is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Minister for Finance since 2021. A member of the governing People’s Action Party (PAP), he is the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Limbang ward of Marsiling–Yew Tee Group GRC since 2015.
Wong was a civil servant in the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Finance, and Health before entering politics. He was also Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong from 2005 to 2008, and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Market Authority from 2008 to 2011. Wong made his political debut in the 2011 general election when he contested as part of a five-member PAP team in West Coast GRC and his team won with about 67% of the vote. Starting from the 2015 general election, he had been contesting in the newly formed Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC and had retained his seat as a Member of Parliament in the 2015 and 2020 general elections.
He is also a co-chair of a multi-ministerial committee set up by the government in January 2020 to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore. He was previously Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth (2012–2015), Minister for National Development (2015–2020), and Minister for Education (2020–2021). A member of the governing People’s Action Party (PAP), he has been a Member of Parliament representing the Limbang ward of Marsiling–Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) since 2015. Within the PAP, he is a member of the party’s Central Executive Committee and the chairman of the PAP’s charity wing.
Early life
| Name | Lawrence Wong |
| Net Worth | $5 million |
| Profession | Politician |
| Height | 1.78m |
| Age | 49 years |
Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai was born on December 18, 1972 (age 49 years) in Singapore. He is the son of a Chinese Singaporean of Hainanese descent, Wong was educated at Haig Boys’ Primary School, Tanjong Katong Secondary School, and Victoria Junior College. After graduating from junior college, he obtained a Public Service Commission scholarship to study at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in economics in 1993. He subsequently completed a Master of Arts in economics at the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, and a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Wong’s father was a sales executive and his mother was a teacher at his primary school. His elder brother is an aerospace engineer.
Career
Lawrence Wong began his career as a civil servant at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, where he served as Assistant Director (Research and Planning) from 1997 to 1999. He then moved to the Ministry of Finance, where was Assistant Director (Fiscal Policy) from 1999 to 2001 and later Deputy Director (Budget) and Head of Economic Programmes. In 2004, he moved to the Ministry of Health to serve as Director of Healthcare Finance. From 2005 to 2008, Wong served as Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. In 2008, Wong became the Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Market Authority.
Wong entered politics at the 2011 general election when he contested as part of a five-member People’s Action Party (PAP) team in West Coast GRC. The PAP team won with 66.66% of the vote against the Reform Party, and Wong became a Member of Parliament representing the Boon Lay ward of West Coast GRC.
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On 21 May 2011, Wong was appointed Minister of State at the Ministries of Defence and Education. He was also appointed to the board of directors of the Monetary Authority of Singapore on 10 June 2011. On 1 August 2012, he was promoted to Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts and Ministry of Education. On 1 November 2012, he was appointed Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Communications and Information.
Wong led a team to bid for the Singapore Botanic Gardens to be recognized as Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wong also spearheaded the free museum entry policy for all Singaporeans and permanent residents, to all national museums and heritage institutions from 18 May 2013. In 2013, Wong also announced the setting up of a new S$100 million National Youth Fund for youth to champion community and social causes.
On 1 May 2014, Lawrence Wong was promoted to full Minister with the portfolios Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Communications and Information. He is also a member of the PAP’s Central Executive Committee. Wong was also appointed as the Head of the SG50 Programme Office that coordinates the work of five committees for Singapore’s Golden Jubilee Year celebrations. Wong is also the co-chair for the SG50 Culture and Community Committee.
As Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth, Wong was involved in the transformation of the Civic District – the birthplace of modern Singapore which contained many institutions that have witnessed important turning points in Singapore’s history. In August 2016, the National Arts Council attracted criticisms over the high consultation fees paid for a bin center, as flagged by the Auditor-General’s Office. Wong addressed the issue in Parliament, saying that the project was at an acceptable cost due to the need for extensive study of the location and technicality involved with the building of the refuse center in the Civic District. Under his charge, Wong also introduced the S$200 million Cultural Matching Fund, a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for cash donations to arts and heritage charities and Institutions of Public Character in Singapore.
In the 2015 general election, Wong was part of a four-member PAP team contesting in the newly formed Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC. The PAP team won with 68.7% of the vote against the Singapore Democratic Party and Wong became a Member of Parliament representing the Limbang ward of Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC.
Lawrence Wong was also the Chairman of the Steering Committee for the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. Wong had also announced several key initiatives to get more Singaporeans involved in sports. This includes a national movement called ActiveSG, which gives all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents ActiveSG$100 to sign up for sports programs, and enter into swimming pools and gyms at the various sports centers islandwide.
Wong also chaired the Singapore High-Performance Sports Steering Committee, which provides strategic guidance on identifying and nurturing high-performing sporting talents. Wong said that the accomplishments of Singapore athletes at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games indicate that Singapore’s investment in sports is paying off.
On 1 October 2015, Wong’s portfolio changed to Minister for National Development. He also chaired the steering committee for the development of Jurong Lake Gardens. However, on 22 August 2016, Wong was appointed Second Minister for Finance, in addition to being Minister for National Development. On 29 August 2016, he stepped down from the board of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and was replaced by Ong Ye Kung.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Wong and Gan Kim Yong were appointed co-chairs of a multi-ministerial committee formed by the government in January 2020 to manage the situation. On 26 March 2020, while paying tribute to frontline workers helping in Singapore’s fight against COVID-19, Wong turned emotional and teary-eyed while delivering his address in Parliament. He thanked healthcare workers, as well as those working in the cleaning, transport, and security sectors for providing much-needed services to keep Singapore going during this difficult time.
In the 2020 general election, Lawrence Wong led a four-member PAP team to contest in Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC again. The PAP team won with 63.18% of the vote against the Singapore Democratic Party and Wong retained his seat as the Member of Parliament representing Limbang ward. On 27 July 2020, following a Cabinet reshuffle, Wong succeeded Ong Ye Kung as Minister for Education. On 8 November that year, Wong was elected into the PAP’s Central Executive Committee for the first time after taking up various roles during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lawrence Wong net worth
How much is Lawrence Wong worth? Lawrence Wong’s net worth is estimated at around $5 million. His main source of income is from his career as a politician. Wong’s successful career has earned him a luxurious lifestyle and some fancy cars trips. He is one of the richest and most influential politicians in Singapore. His salary for 2022 ranges from $162,574 to $475,483, but with bonuses, benefits, and various other compensation, he made significantly more than his salary in the year 2020.
Wife
Lawrence Wong married at 28 but divorced his first wife after three years due to “incompatibility”, and he has since remarried. However, on 15 May 2021, following another Cabinet reshuffle, Wong relinquished his portfolio as Minister for Education and became Minister for Finance. On 28 May 2021, he was reappointed to the board of the Monetary Authority of Singapore as Deputy Chair, replacing Lim Hng Kiang.