He points out that actually in terms of financial power, there were several community leaders among the Southeast Asian Chinese with more money than he, and no small number of them donated funds for the building of schools. But Tan Kah Kee was singularly unique in "giving all," not concerning himself with the development of his own enterprises, viewing the role of "school builder" as his life's true profession.
他指出，其實，以財力來說，南洋僑界比陳嘉庚有錢的僑領很多，捐資興學的也不少，但像陳嘉庚這樣「傾其所有」，不顧慮自己的企業發展，卻視「興學」為一生志業的，絕無僅有。