Tony Fernandes turned a failing airline into a billion-dollar business
and built AirAsia into one of the most recognized brands in Asia.
In this interview, Tony explains how he bought AirAsia for just 30 cents
and $10M of debt, scaled it into the fourth largest airline in Asia,
and created a culture that transformed 24,000 employees into a unified
team. From building a brand with global impact to navigating failures,
scaling fast against competitors, and leading digital transformation,
Tony’s story is packed with actionable lessons for founders ready to
think bigger and move faster.
What you’ll learn from this interview:
• How Tony bought AirAsia for just 30 cents and $10M in debt
• Why scaling fast is critical when competitors can copy your model
• How to build a culture that drives loyalty, performance, and
innovation
• The role of branding, PR, and personal brand in scaling globally
• Why self-funding and profitability are underrated growth strategies
• How to know when to reinvent, when to focus, and when to quit
• Lessons from failures, resilience, and daring to dream bigger
By the end of this interview, you’ll walk away with proven insights from
one of Asia’s most iconic entrepreneurs—so you can scale your business,
build an unstoppable culture, and create a brand that lasts.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend
with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to https://your.omnisend.com/foundr to get started.
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial
PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here →
https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here →
https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/
CONNECT WITH TONY FERNANDES
Website → https://www.airasia.com/
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/tonyfernandes/
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyfernandesairasia
FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
YouTube → https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt
Website → https://www.foundr.com
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/foundr/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/foundr
Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/foundr
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/
Podcast → https://www.foundr.com/podcast
