Picture
Many Villar grew up in the cramped neighborhood of Tondo, Philippines district in Manila. As a lad he would help his mother sell seafood in the commercial market of Divisoria. At the same time, he would observe the Chinese traders at work and notice how they were able to succeed in sales.

After studying Business Administration and working at an auditing firm, he ventured into the seafood's business but it went bankrupt; Villar was only 22 by then. He then worked for another company as a loan specialist.