William Heinecke

About William Heinecke

U.S.-born hotelier William Heinecke came to Thailand as a child and started his first business before he turned 18, hence naming his company Minor.

A Thai citizen since 1991, his Minor International has more than 550 hotels and resorts, over 2,600 restaurants and 287 retail stores spread across more than 60 countries.

He tripled the size of his hotel portfolio by acquiring Spain's NH Hotels for $2.6 billion in 2018, the year of Minor's golden anniversary.

Minor also has franchises for such brands as Swensens, Sizzler, Dairy Queen and Burger King.

In 2020, Heinecke ceded the CEO's position to a Minor veteran. In 2021, Minor expanded into China, partnering Funyard Hotels & Resorts.