Editorial | ‘Uncle Four’ a true Hong Kong success story
Tycoon Lee Shau-kee built a business empire and fortune, while giving back to the local and mainland community
Hong Kong’s third-richest man, Asia’s god of stock trading, a respectable and patriotic philanthropist – Lee Shau-kee was not just one of the most well-known tycoons in the region; his vast business empire, humble and straight-talking style and legendary life made him like no other.
Tributes flowed in after the 97-year-old passed away on Monday. The Henderson Land Development founder embodied the spirit that defines Hong Kong’s success story. His seven listed companies currently have a combined market value of HK$551 billion (US$70.9 billion), spanning real estate, hotels, piped gas and a ferry operation.
Known affectionately as “Uncle Four” by his business peers and the media, the fourth son in a family with interests in gold and foreign currencies on the mainland came to Hong Kong with HK$1,000 in the late 1940s.
He soon switched to real estate and later co-founded the Sun Hung Kai property conglomerate with Fung King-hey and Kwok Tak-seng, known as “the three musketeers”.
The outspoken tycoon did not shy away from sharing his investment insights. He once accumulated a personal stock portfolio worth HK$200 billion, earning him the nickname “Asia’s god of stock trading”.
His wealth grew to an estimated US$29.5 billion over the past five decades, with Forbes ranking him as the world’s 49th richest person as of 2023.