Nguyen Dang Quang, like many of his generation, took the opportunity to study in Russia and Eastern Europe after the Vietnamese/American War, earning an MBA in economics at Moscow’s Plekhanov University before moving on to Belarus where he received a doctorate in technical sciences at their National Academy of Sciences.

After returning to the country of his birth Quang worked at Vietnam's Academy of Sciences and then joined the private sector, initially investing in Techcombank (in 1993) and then along with co-founder Ho Hung Anh, set up the Masan Group.

The group, which Quang is the chairman and along with his wife owns 49% of, consists of a number of consumer goods companies and food businesses, with its most famous products being fish sauce, instant noodles and animal feed.

In early 2018, Quang became Vietnam’s third billionaire. He lives with his family in Ho Chi Minh City.