Loo Tze Lui

From Wiki.sg
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Loo Tze Lui
Loo Tze Lui (4).png
Born1974
EducationUniversity of South California
Spouse(s)Lawrence Wong

Loo Tze Lui (born 1974) is a former investment banker, best known as Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s wife. She is currently an Investment Manager of a Single Family Office and has been reported to be active as a Vice President of real estate investment house, Pacific Star Group, as well as an individual private investor.[1][2] She has also previously sat on the Board of Directors of YMCA for 8 years, before stepping down in 2024.[1][3]

Overall, not much is known about Loo Tze Lui’s personal life and she is known to keep a low profile. Although she has appeared alongside PM Wong on state visits and events, she made her first official public appearance during President Tharman’s inauguration in 2023.[1]

Background

Education

In 1993, Loo Tze Lui graduated from the University of South California with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.[1][3] Loo specialized in finance.

Family

Loo is married to PM Lawrence Wong and the couple have no children. She is also his second wife.[1][4]

During the circuit breaker in 2020, Loo was first mentioned by the Prime Minister who stated that he “didn’t go to the barber” because his “hair was cut by [his] wife at home”.[5]

Personal life

Loo Tze Lui at Tjin Lee’s renewal of wedding vows. Photo from Instagram.
Loo Tze Lui at Tjin Lee’s renewal of wedding vows. Photo from Instagram.

Loo is friends with internet personality and entrepreneur, Tjin Lee. In 2018, Loo also attended Tjin Lee’s renewal of wedding vows, alongside the latter’s close friends and family. Some of the other attendees include the director of Lum Wen Kay Holdings, Marilyn Lum and influencer Doloroes Au.[6]

Career

Not much is known about Loo’s career as she keeps a low profile online. But according to YMCA, she has over 25 years of experience in investments, with 12 years in corporate finance and wealth management, and 4 years in institutional real estate investment.[1]

Investment Manager (Present)

Loo currently runs a Single Family Office, where she manages its public market portfolio, direct investments, and real estate assets.[1][2] She has also previously been reported as an investment manager at Sandalwood Associates.[1]

Vice-President of Pacific Star Group (Present)

In a press release by Habitat for Humanity in 2009, Loo was mentioned as the vice president of Pacific Star, a Taiwanese real estate investment house.[1][7] The company is headquartered in Singapore and has “established [a] high profile transactions and specialist knowledge of prime Asian real estate”.[8]

YMCA (2016 to 2024)

On 21 May 2024, YMCA Vice President, Kenneth Tan issued a letter announcing the retirement of Loo from the organisation’s board of directors.[3] She had previously served from May 2016 to May 2024.[1] She had even been elected to serve a 4-year term in 2017.[1]

Of those 8 years as Vice President, she served under the International House Committee and YMCA FACES (Financial Assistance & Capability for Employment Scheme).[1] She has also volunteered and made frequent donations to YMCA over the years.[1]

Investment banker

Local news and media outlets have reported Loo to be a former investment banker.[1][4][9]

Philanthropy

Since 2018, Loo Tze Lui has donated over S$20,000 to YMCA. In addition, she has donated between S$5,000 to S$9,999 to the Singapore Art Museum.[1]

Media Coverage

Praised for her good looks and grace at swearing-in ceremony of PM Wong

Screenshot of Loo Tze Lui at PM Wong’s swearing-in ceremony. Photo from TikTok.
Screenshot of Loo Tze Lui at PM Wong’s swearing-in ceremony. Photo from TikTok.

On 15 May 2024, Loo Tze Lui made a rare public appearance when she attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. She donned a black cheongsam and gold necklace, with a cream clutch in hand.[10][11] Her elegant style impressed many netizens and she quickly went viral on social media, with many gushing over her beauty and Korean-like appearance.[9][10][11] Previously, her elegance and beauty had also garnered attention at President Tharman’s swearing-in ceremony in 2023.[11]

Reaction to PM Wong’s appointement

Screenshot of Loo Tze Lui and PM Wong at President Tharman’s inauguration. Photo from TikTok.
Screenshot of Loo Tze Lui and PM Wong at President Tharman’s inauguration. Photo from TikTok.

In May 2024, local digital publication Rice Media interviewed with PM Lawrence Wong, where he shared his wife’s reaction to his appointment.[9] Speaking to Rice Media, he mentioned that Loo Tze Lui was surprised, but that the couple had already been mentally prepared for this outcome.[9]

“So actually, at that time, I was surprised and I went back home to tell my wife, she was surprised too, but we had been prepared for it because she knew I was part of this process.”[9]

References / Citations

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Rizal, Dayana & Ang, Amber. “Loo Tze Lui: 5 things to know about PM Wong’s wife, a former banker with a heart of gold”. Mustshare News. May 16, 2024. Accessed 17 May 2024.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Loo, Tze Lui. “Tze Lui Loo”. LinkedIn. n.d. Accessed 17 May 2024.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Tan, Kenneth. “Nominations for Election to the YMCA Board”. YMCA. May 21, 2024. Accessed 17 May 2024.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Lim, Ainslyn. “Netizens gush over wife of PM Lawrence Wong, say she looks like a 'Korean actress’”. Today Online. May 15, 2024. Accessed 17 May 2024.
  5. Toh, Wen Li. “Coronavirus: Reopening of the economy will be gradual and phased”. The Straits Times. May 13, 2020. Accessed 17 May 2024.
  6. tjinlee. “Laughing so hard because NOTHING went as planned! The boys refused to wear their leather shoes, Jake cried when he had to take Panda (which was our ring cushion) down the aisle, Tyler almost dropped the rings into the pool, and the musicians arrived late... We still had the perfect day, enjoying ourselves in a celebration filled with joy and laughter! Perfectly imperfect - that’s what you can expect if you’re celebrating any kind of ceremony with little kids present #jt10anniversary #destinationwedding #10thanniversary #bali #baliwedding #chaumet #wanderlust”. Instagram. May 17, 2018. Accessed 18 May 2024.
  7. Habitat for Humanity. “HFH Singapore’s First-Ever “Women Build” Team Works On Batam”. Habitat for Humanity. April 22, 2009. Accessed 18 May 2024.
  8. Pacific Star Group. “Pacific Star Group: Overview | LinkedIn”. LinkedIn. n.d. Accessed 18 May 2024.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Lim, Kimberly. “What Do We Really, Actually Know About PM Lawrence Wong?”. Rice Media. May 17, 2024. Accessed 18 May 2024.  
  10. 10.0 10.1 Cai, Candance. “'Respectfully, jaw is on the floor': Netizens gush over PM Lawrence Wong's wife at swearing-in ceremony”. AsiaOne. May 16, 2024. Accessed 18 May 2024.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Yan, Kong Kit. “#trending: Glamour, perspiration, 'spilling tea' — viral moments from Istana swearing-in ceremony”. Today Online. May 16, 2024. Accessed 18 May 2024.