Lee Kuan Yew

Scholar & Thinker

(1923 – 2015) · Southeast Asia

First Prime Minister of Singapore, serving from 1959 to 1990, widely credited with transforming Singapore from a developing city-state into one of the world's wealthiest nations. His governance style was pragmatic and authoritarian, combining economic development with strict social controls. His 2011 memoir Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going was among his last major works.