Manuel Villar

Manuel Villar

Manuel "Manny" Bamba Villar Jr. (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈviʎar], born December 13, 1949) is a Filipino billionaire businessman and former politician. He was elected senator from 2001 to 2013, and served as the Senate president from 2006 to 2008. Previously, he represented the district of Las Piñas–Muntinlupa from 1992 to 1998, and Las Piñas's at-large district from 1998 to 2001. He also became the speaker of the House of Representatives from 1998 to 2000; in this term, he presided over the impeachment of President Joseph Estrada. From 2019 to 2021, Forbes magazine named Villar as the richest individual in the Philippines, with an estimated net worth of $6.7 billion. Villar was born to a poor family in Tondo, an impoverished and densely populated district of Manila. After graduating from the University of the Philippines, he worked as an accountant and financial analyst, then launched a highly successful business in real estate. Villar's companies have built over 200,000 homes, and his business career made him the wealthiest person in the Philippines.He ran for president in the 2010 presidential elections under the Nacionalista Party, but lost to Benigno Aquino III.

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