David Tang: the colourful life of the man behind Hong Kong’s fashion brand with a Shanghai twist

Flamboyant entrepreneur dies aged 63, leaving behind a rich legacy of arts, literature and philanthropy

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David Tang at his home in Central, in 2013. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 5:45pm, 30 Aug 2017Updated: 3:28pm, 1 Sep 2017

“In business, I think I should’ve gone into property. I see all these people who made so much money, and they’re all stupid.”

Shanghai Tang founder David Tang, who has died aged 63, was a flamboyant entrepreneur and cigar connoisseur, as well as a columnist and “Agony Uncle” for the Financial Times, but it was his penchant for sharp-tongued, unapologetic quotes such as this, compiled by the Post in a 2010 interview, that he may be best remembered for.

In 1994, the Hong Kong businessman’s luxury clothes line redefined the garment industry and put him in a league of global celebrities – Tang was a globetrotter, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous for the past 20-odd years.

He called renowned British architect Norman Foster “my old buddy”, and on one occasion danced with Queen Elizabeth. He lived the life of a socialite but emphatically refused to be called one.

“Thank you for alerting me to this excellent promotion. Except I am not sure I like being described as a socialite!” he wrote to the Post over a report on a Hong Kong Book Fair session in 2013, which he had personally invited renowned British authors to attend, all expenses paid for.