The Honourable Sir Ka-shing Li 李嘉誠 爵士 GBM KBE JP |
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Li Ka-shing in September 2010
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Native name | 李嘉誠 |
Born |
Chaozhou, Guangdong, China |
29 July 1928
Citizenship | Hong Kong, China Canada |
Education | high school drop-out |
Occupation | Chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings Chairman of CK Property Holdings Chairman of Li Ka Shing Foundation |
Net worth | US$31.3 billion (February 2017) |
Spouse(s) | Chong Yuet Ming (1963-1989)(Deceased) |
Children |
Victor Li Richard Li |
Awards |
Justice of the Peace (1981) LL.D. (1986) D. SSc (1995) |
Li Ka-shing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 李嘉誠 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Simplified Chinese | 李嘉诚 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Transcriptions | |
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Standard Mandarin | |
Hanyu Pinyin | Lǐ Jiāchéng |
Wu | |
Romanization | Li-ga-sen |
Hakka | |
Romanization | Li31Ga44Sing11 |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Jyutping | Lei5 Gaa1-sing4 |
Southern Min | |
Teochew Peng'im | Li2 Gia1-sêng5 |
Sir Ka-shing Li, GBM, KBE,JP (born 29 July 1928 in Chaozhou, China) is a Hong Kong business magnate and investor. According to Forbes, as of February 2017 Li is the richest person in Asia, and 18th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$31.3 billion. He is currently the chairman of the board for CK Hutchison Holdings; through it, he is the world's leading port investor, developer, and operator, and the largest health and beauty retailer in Asia and Europe.
Considered one of the most powerful figures in Asia, Li was named "Asia's Most Powerful Man, Li Ka-Shing" by Asiaweek in 2001. His companies make up 4% of the market capitalisation of the .Forbes Magazine and the Forbes family honoured Li Ka-shing with the first ever "Malcolm S. Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award" on 5 September 2006, in Singapore. In spite of his wealth, Li has cultivated a reputation for leading a no-frills lifestyle, and is known to wear simple black dress shoes and an inexpensive Seiko wristwatch. He continues to live in the same house as he has for decades, which has now become one of the most expensive districts in Hong Kong, Deep Water Bay in Hong Kong Island. Li is also regarded as one of Asia's most generous philanthropists, donating over US$2.56 billion as of April 2016 to charity and other various philanthropic causes. Li is often referred to as "Superman" in Hong Kong because of his business prowess.
Li Ka-shing was born in Chaozhou in Guangdong province, China, in 1928 to Teochew parents. Due to his father's death, he was forced to leave school before the age of 15 and found a job in a plastics trading company where he worked 16 hours a day. In 1950 he started his own company, Cheung Kong Industries. From manufacturing plastics, Li developed his company into a leading real estate investment company in Hong Kong that was listed on the in 1971. Cheung Kong expanded by acquiring Hutchison Whampoa and Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited in 1979 and 1985 respectively.