Tan Tock Seng

Philanthropist

Tan Tock Seng was a prosperous Singapore businessman of the early 1800s, known particularly for his generosity to the poor. He contributed heavily to the 1844 construction of a new hospital for the indigent, which was then named Tan Tock Seng Hospital. After Tan's death in 1850 his son Tan Kim Ching continued the family's support for the hospital, which continues as one of Singapore's most prominent medical centers.

Extra credit: Other famous Singaporeans include prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, World War II hero Lim Bo Seng and Singapore founder Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles... Another famous hospital founder is the actor Danny Thomas.