Bachtiar Karim Net Worth

Bachtiar Karim has an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Bachtiar Karim profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $1.4 billion in 2024.

Bachtiar Karim is an Indonesian businessman who leads Musim Mas Holdings as chairman and CEO. The company is based in Singapore and runs integrated palm oil operations in Indonesia. He works with his brothers Burhan and Bahari in the family business. Musim Mas grew from an older family operation started by his late father, Anwar, whose Nam Cheong Soap Factory began making soap in 1932 and still produces soaps and margarine.

Karim became known through the family's long history in manufacturing and palm oil. The family opened the first palm oil refinery in Indonesia in 1970, and Musim Mas was formally established later. Beyond palm oil, his family has also made large property investments in Singapore. In 2019, Karim bought Darby Park Executive Suites for $160 million through Invictus Developments. In 2022, the family also bought the House of Tan Yeok Nee.

How Bachtiar Karim built his wealth

Karim's fortune is tied mainly to palm oil. He chairs and runs Musim Mas Holdings, a Singapore-based group with operations in Indonesia. The business is integrated, meaning it works across different parts of the palm oil trade. He runs it with his brothers Burhan and Bahari. The company stands on a family business that started in manufacturing and later expanded into palm oil refining and related operations.

That foundation began with Nam Cheong Soap Factory, which Anwar Karim founded in 1932. The family operation still makes soaps and margarine. In 1970, the family opened the first palm oil refinery in Indonesia, a key step before Musim Mas became the main company name. The family has also put money into real estate. In 2019, Karim bought a 6-story serviced residence in Singapore for $160 million, and in 2022 the family bought the House of Tan Yeok Nee.

Forbes net worth updates

Forbes valued Karim at $1.4 billion on its World's Billionaires List in 2024. That estimate rose to $1.8 billion in 2025, then moved to $1.6 billion in 2026. Across those years, the public picture of his wealth stayed centered on the same business: Musim Mas and the family's palm oil interests. His long-running manufacturing roots also matter because the family business still makes soaps and margarine alongside its palm oil operations.

As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker placed Karim at $1.5 billion. That figure was lower than the 2025 list estimate and slightly below the 2026 list number. The main driver named in the public record remains palm oil, with Musim Mas at the center. The family's property deals add another business angle, but the core source of wealth is still the palm oil group he leads from Singapore.