But tales of true love reinstate our faith in the sacred bond of hearts and one Malaysian woman, who gave up her business tycoon father’s wealth to marry the man of her dreams, is teaching everyone that there still exist people who are capable of unconditional love. 

78-year-old Khoo Kay Peng is the chairman of Malayan United Industries, an investment holding firm which has major stakes in high-end luxury brands and hotels. In 2015, he was ranked 44th on the Forbes list of Malaysia’s 50 richest people. His net worth was estimated to be US$300 million. 

Angeline Francis Khoo, the fourth of Mr Khoo’s five children, was to join the family business until she married the man of her choice without her father’s consent. 

Angeline Khoo’s love story goes back to 2008 when she was studying at the Oxford University. There, she met Carribean-born data scientist Jedidiah Francis, and the duo decided to get married. But when she told Mr Khoo about her plans, he refused to give his consent. 

Eventually, Angeline realised that her father does not understand the value of her love and decided to go ahead with her marriage. They married in a small ceremony, with no more than 30 guests in attendance. Angeline stuck by her man even when no one from her family attended her marriage. In a recent interview, she revealed:

I believed dad’s stance was wrong, so there was no question about what was right.

Angeline Francis Khoo, 34, is now a fashion designer and says that she had no idea about his father’s wealth until it was disclosed in the court during the divorce proceedings of her parents. 

But the self-made woman gave up the privileges she was born to take an independent decision and live life on her terms. In fact, her thoughts on leaving her share of the wealth for love are sagacious enough to give us all an insight.

As reported by The Straits Times, she said:  

I’ve been fortunate to have that perspective: you can have money and it’s a blessing; it allows you to do things and gives you options, but there are also things that come with it, such as control. Money amplifies negative characteristics and that can cause problems. To walk away from that was actually very easy. I didn’t even consider it.

She hopes that her father “lets go of his anger and his hurt” so they can share a cordial relationship.

Well, let’s hope that love prevails, just like it did in her case!