How an unknown Vietnamese carmaker is trying to beat Tesla in the U.S.

An unknown automaker, VinFast, which was founded just a few years ago in Vietnam, is landing in the United States hoping to take on giants like Tesla.

Its founder, Pham Nhat Vuong, made his first fortune in dried ramen noodles and has since become Vietnam’s richest person and owner of Vingroup, the country’s largest conglomerate.

Vingroup, which pulled in about $5.4 billion in sales in 2021, owns a range of businesses including shopping centers, golf courses, housing developments and educational institutions. It also made Vietnam’s first locally produced smartphone.

Pham recently turned his attention to vehicles, which provide a country with benefits that can go beyond the balance…