The rags-to-riches story of hotelier Choo Chong Ngen is well-known. A kampong boy from Hougang, he is one of seven children born to a carpenter and a housewife, and his entrepreneurial streak surfaced early. When he was 10, he began selling ice cream to earn his own pocket money. At 14, he became a fishmonger to help his family make ends meet; by 17, he had set up his own textile stall in a market.