The daughter of one of Malaysia’s most successful businessmen has reportedly renounced her inheritance money all for the sake of love.
According to AsiaOne, 34-year-old Angeline Francis Khoo, announced that she has cut ties with her father, Tan Sri Khoo Kay Peng, chairman of fashion and lifestyle company, Laura Ashley after he expressed disapproval of the man she wanted to marry.
The heiress and fashion designer reportedly had an inheritance worth 407 million US dollars (RM1.7 billion), but she has since given that up when her father did not approve of her relationship.
Angeline had reportedly chosen to sever ties with her father and walk away from the family business when her father did not want her to marry Caribbean-born data scientist Jedidiah Francis, whom she met when they were studying at Oxford University.
She told the Daily Mail,
“I believed Dad’s stance was wrong, so there was no question about what was right.”
Angeline shared that she was groomed to take over the family business from a young age.
“The plan was always for me to be involved. That was drilled into me since I was a teenager. It felt like my destiny. Mum used to dress us in Laura Ashley dresses before my father acquired the business,” she said, adding that she used to spend her university summers working in the company as preparation.
The family were also the subject of international attention in the United Kingdom when Tan Sri Khoo and Pauline Chai were going through a high-profile divorce. The case ended in April this year when the judge ordered Angeline’s father to pay USD$112 million (approx. RM478 million) to her mother.
Currently, Angeline lives in London with her husband. However, she still has hope that she will reconcile with her father one day and that he can let go of his anger towards her.
She still worries for her wealthy father, saying,
“He had everything: a loyal, beautiful, smart wife, and children who love him regardless of whether he has money or not. I feel that at his age he’s vulnerable.”
“When you don’t have that much longer ahead of you, you shouldn’t spend your days being angry and resentful.”
We hope Angelina and her father can make peace and reconcile soon!
Also read: Malaysian Twins Who Studied Law Make It Big In UK’s Fashion Industry