What is Success?

WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, my definition of success was to marry someone like Dad, give birth to kids like Mom, and raise a happy family like ours. When I got older, I dreamt of becoming an investigative journalist or an international correspondent traveling the world. Of course, like just about everyone else, I wanted to be wealthy beyond my wildest dreams.

If those were still my definitions of success, then my life turned out to be a monumental failure. Fortunately, we’re allowed to change our minds and perspectives. Now that I’m older, my driving force behind everything I do is to somehow make the world a better, happier place for my eight-year-old little girl, Safiya. Seems like age and experience does that to people. When I talk to others in different walks of life, childhood friends, colleagues, even household staff, they share the same dream.

We asked some of the Philippines’ most influential titans of industry—with their own net worth many times more than most people’s wildest dreams—how they define success. Their businesses are the backbone of the Philippine economy, supporting and helping all of us move forward as a nation.

While they continue to dream big dreams that help build our country, some of their definitions are the same as everyone else’s. What is your own personal definition of success?

SABIN ABOITIZ

Success, for me, is when I can be the best thing that’s happened to someone’s life, when I can be the most positive influence on someone’s life. The new Aboitiz techglomerate led by the next generation of Aboitiz leaders. A better company and a better country.

RAMON ANG

To me, success isn’t about wealth or possessions. It is about San Miguel making a real difference in the lives of many Filipinos and driving our nation’s progress.

This commitment to nation-building has been our focus for many years. We concentrate on tackling the biggest challenges holding our country back: issues like food security, reliable energy, better infrastructure, and creating jobs. We invest in projects with the potential for the greatest impact. We set ambitious goals and work with everyone to achieve them. Success is an ongoing journey of always striving to do more.

Looking ahead, I’m confident in San Miguel’s leadership, including my son, Paul. Before I retire, I want to finish our major projects that will help transform the Philippines. This includes upgrading and expanding our airports, especially the new Manila International Airport in Bulacan, which will be a legacy for future generations. Just as important are our new rail lines and expressways, connecting our cities and provinces, creating new economic opportunities, and supporting local industries.

I also want to continue our social and environmental work — cleaning up our rivers to help reduce flooding, making food more accessible to many Filipinos, making education more accessible in poor communities across the country, among many others. By empowering young people, we help them build a better future.

JOSE ANTONIO

Success is something one attains after working so passionately.

What’s next? Working hard for our country, and helping in any way to sustain its growth. Am also passionate about helping improve education for the average Filipino, especially in the provinces.

BUTCH CAMPOS

We try to achieve being an asset to our community.

JIMMY DUAVIT

I define success as the extent that one has positively touched, influenced, or been a part of the lives of others.

Belonging to an industry that is both confronted by disruptors and at the forefront of borderless competition (for audiences), the next for me is the challenge of furthering our ability to respond to the rapidly changing needs of our evolving and broadening audience; consequently enabling us to remain relevant to our viewers in the times to come.

SANTI ELIZALDE

Based on my experience, the definition of success is very personal.

It’s defined by ability to achieve one’s personal and professional goals and objectives, whatever one has set for themselves. Personally, I believe in setting milestones for the different phases of my life which I am very particular about. What can I achieve within a three- to five- year time frame is a question I often ask myself. Attached to those milestones are the goals and objectives that I set. If I achieve the goals within the time frame, then I consider myself to have been successful. In the end, it is the feeling of self-satisfaction that matters. Achieving one’s goals and feeling good about your accomplishment is what matters most.

ROBINA GOKONGWEI

If the UP Men’s Basketball Team gets the gold.

What’s next? Hope they get another gold!

LANCE GOKONGWEI

Success is knowing I’m paying it forward and making a positive and lasting difference in everything I do.

What’s next?

Continuing to provide quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to Filipino learners— the future of our nation—through the various scholarships and programs of our Gokongwei Brothers Foundation.

FELIPE GOZON

My personal definition of success: Being blessed with a happy and good family, i.e., spouse, children and grandchildren. Secondly, achieving what you set out to do in your professional career and in business.

ANTON HUANG

Success, for me, is about carrying forward the legacy of those who came before me, especially our founders while building upon the foundation they’ve created.

More than financial or milestone, it achieving professional about preserving the values they instilled—integrity, passion, and dedication to excellence.

Success means continuing their vision and ensuring that it thrives in today’s world, while also making room for growth and innovation.

On a personal level, it’s about leaving a mark that honors their legacy, inspiring the next generation to do the same, and contributing to something meaningful that will endure beyond my time. If I can maintain this balance while fostering deep relationships creating positive and impact, then I would consider that true success.

MENARDO JIMENEZ

Success happens when we give it our all—in everything we do— big things or small things.

Rising to the top and being a leader is the world’s view of success. But true success must be viewed from God’s perspective. He says, “Whoever wants to be first among you Serving others, making my life count, and being the light in my field of influence. That’s the true essence of success.

What’s next?

I enjoy working daily, shaping decisions for my companies, looking for sunrise industries to invest in, and seeing my business double in size. At 92, being productive brings me joy.

TG LIMCAOCO

Personal success is when your children are better than you. Professional success is when your peers and colleagues respect you.

PIKI LOPEZ

When work inspires with a shared purpose that’s in sync with your values and that of your family life, then success is defined, not as a destination, but by the journey itself.

What’s next?

Empowering and entrusting others to evolve that purpose through time so it continues to inspire and enrich lives even when we’re no longer around.

RICKY RAZON

Always moving. Always building. What’s next? More.

CHRIS PO

I like what Warren Buffett said about success. because I did not expect that answer from an investment guru. He said, and I’m paraphrasing, “Success is when the people you care about love you.”

What’s next?

I’m very grateful for the platform we have been given. We will just do the most we can and try our best with what we have today, and keep an eye out for new paths that will open up tomorrow.

EDGAR SAAVEDRA

My definition of success: If you are able to achieve your vision, have personal fulfillment by enjoying life, have good relationships with the people you love, and are able to do something that has an impact on the community.

INJAP SIA

My personal definition of success is anchored on the positive impact of what we do in our lifetime for our fellowmen and for our society.

What’s next for us at this point is mainly two things: We the portfolio of hard assets and businesses that our team has built up in the Philippines, and expanding the homegrown Filipino brand Hotel101 and its unique Asset-Light concept and novel PropTech business model, with the near-team goal of expanding Hotel101 to 25 countries, and the long-term goal of one million rooms in over 100 countries worldwide.

TESSIE SY COSON

Success is achieving your target, whatever you’ve aimed for. Next step depends on the opportunities that are open.

HANS SY

My personal definition of success is very simple: I can go to bed at night in peace, knowing I have done my best and done what’s right, even if at times my decisions may not be driven by popular opinion. Success also means passing on my parents’ values to my family’s next generation and helping shape them into men and women of substance.

What’s next?

To focus on living a full life, which for me has always been about both work and family, enjoying my grandchildren and ensuring they have a better world in the future.

KEVIN TAN

Success means uplifting lives by creating meaningful products and experiences that bring happiness and value to people. It’s about leaving a lasting impact by providing customers with meaningful solutions that enrich their everyday lives and nurture connections. For me, success also lies in generating opportunities—creating jobs that empower individuals to thrive and drive economic progress. True success happens when our growth lifts people up, strengthens communities, and plays a role in shaping the future of our nation.

What’s next is staying focused on our mission to make a positive impact on society and contribute to nation-building—a legacy we are committed to leaving behind. We aim to be remembered for driving economic development and creating opportunities across the Philippines. One of our key goals is to generate 5 million jobs by 2035, cementing our role in helping Filipinos secure meaningful employment.

LUCIO TAN III

Success means honoring and preserving the legacy my grandfather built while propelling it forward with innovation and personal vision. It’s not just about upholding the established reputation and values, but also expanding the family’s influence and achievements in ways that are meaningful and modern, ensuring they grow stronger and more relevant across generations and societies.

DONNIE TANTOCO

When I think about success, I see it as the result of collaborative teamwork. It is a company excelling in providing essential services with care and continuous enhancements for our customers and communities. Throughout this journey, we are also growing and evolving, refining our skills and honing our craft. Our ability to serve effectively in all circumstances stems from our exceptional teamwork, mutual trust, respect, and unwavering integrity within the team.

On a personal note, success is nurturing a united and loving family. It is being deeply attuned and supportive of my loved ones in order to empower each member to realize their full potential, happiness, and calling in life. It is to create an environment where each family member will flourish and become their most authentic self while contributing to somethin purposeful.

MANNY VILLAR

My personal definition of success is when you accomplish something on your own from the ground up. There is nothing more fulfilling than creating something new and making it last with your own blood, sweat and tears. It makes your success so much sweeter.

What’s next for me is that I will continue to do what I have enjoyed doing since I was a young kid helping my mother sell shrimps and fish in Divisoria. The entrepreneurial fire inside me still burns. That is the force that has allowed me to focus on my legacy project, Villar City.

EMIL YAP

Success, for me, has never been about the accolades or the recognition. While these are surely welcome, they are more of a bonus. Success is about being better than you were yesterday. It’s about improving and making a difference because you continue to do so. That’s why, what’s next for me is to continue learning and innovating. In an industry such as ours—in the media—you are only as good as your last, best story. And with the advent of artificial intelligence and more advanced technologies that shake and shape media, there is only one way but to be ahead of the curve. It’s not enough just to adapt.

HELEN YUCHENGCO DEE

Success is the ability to leverage one’s skills, passion, and opportunities to create sustainable growth and positive change. It’s not merely measured by personal or financial gain but by the lasting impact on communities and the nation, across generations.

JAIME AUGUSTO ZOBEL DE AYALA

I have always believed that success is not merely about personal achievement; it is about empowering others to realize their fullest potential. We all win when we create opportunities for more individuals to become their best selves, fostering a community and ultimately, a country where everyone can thrive.

This article originally appeared in Robb Report Philippines’ Premiere Issue.