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Lee Shau-kee, a celebrated businessman and philanthopist in Hong Kong, died aged 97 on Monday. Photo: SCMP

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.

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