But besides their common business interest in electric vehicles (and the fact that Mr Somphote's business is often referred to as the "Tesla of Thailand"), the rest bears little comparison. Like Mr Buffett, Mr Somphote, 53, lives simply, in a four-bedroom, 18-million-baht condo in Chamchuri Square that he leases. "I had a background in electrical engineering, but I knew nothing about mechanical and chemical engineering," Mr Somphote says. To lay the infrastructure for electric vehicles in Thailand, Mr Somphote is building a 100-billion-baht lithium-ion battery gigafactory in Chachoengsao. "If I can make this company sustainable to run on its own, I am willing to leave," Mr Somphote says.

Source: Bangkok Post June 19, 2020 23:37 UTC