Eldest son of Vietnam’s richest man steps up as VinFast chair

[HO CHI MINH CITY] The eldest son of Vietnam’s richest man has taken over as chairman of electric vehicle maker VinFast, signalling a deeper generational transition inside the business empire founded by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong.

This comes as the company pushes ahead with an ambitious global expansion and a broader restructuring.

VinFast said on Monday (May 25) that its board had on May 23 appointed Pham Nhat Quan Anh as chairman of Nasdaq-listed parent company VinFast Auto.

He replaced Le Thi Thu Thuy, a long-time executive closely associated with the automaker’s overseas fundraising and expansion efforts.

The company said that the transition was aimed at supporting VinFast’s next phase of development and establishing a foundation for sustainable growth.

Quan Anh, 33, is also vice-chairman and standing deputy general director at VinFast Trading and Production. The Vietnam-based manufacturing subsidiary has been separated and is set to be transferred to a group of investors for 13.3 trillion dong (S$645 million) under a multi-party deal unveiled on May 12.

In a regulatory filing, VinFast said the transaction will enable it to adopt an “asset-light” model focused on research and product development rather than manufacturing.

The EV maker aims to sell about 300,000 vehicles globally in 2026, from around 197,000 units delivered last year. This includes its sales target of about 100,000 units in international markets, marking an increase of nearly five times from over 21,800 overseas deliveries in 2025.

Next generation takes helm

Quan Anh is the eldest son of Vingroup chairman and VinFast founder Vuong, who also has another son and a daughter.

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The newly appointed VinFast chairman has held a series of senior operational roles since joining the company in 2019, overseeing areas including vehicle development, manufacturing, global sales and after-sales services, the group said.

Before joining VinFast, from 2017 to 2019, he served as deputy general director and deputy chief operating officer of Vingroup’s hospitality arm, Vinpearl.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Singapore Management University.

Quan Anh’s latest elevation marks one of the clearest signs yet of a formal leadership transition within Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate, where Vuong’s children have increasingly taken on more prominent management responsibilities after largely remaining out of the public spotlight for years.

Vuong’s younger son, Pham Nhat Minh Hoang, 26, was previously the global marketing director at VinFast and CEO of Green Future, Vingroup’s EV rental and mobility arm that merged with VinFast’s ride-hailing associate GSM earlier in 2026.

He also holds shares across several Vingroup-related ventures, including technology, steel-making, energy and entertainment initiatives.