He is the founder of Berjaya Corporation Berhad, a diversified conglomerate listed on the Malaysian stock exchange.
Besides holding stakes through the Berjaya Corporation group of companies, Tan's other stakes include interest in internet–related businesses, water utilities, media, retail and telecommunications.
In 2010, he entered the Forbes billionaire list with an estimated worth of US$1.3 billion (RM4.2 billion).
Tan's success in the Malaysian business sector has been attributed in part to his close association with prominent Malay political figures.