Lee Shau-kee

Lee Shau-kee, founder of Hong Kong's Henderson Land Development Co, passed away on Monday at the age of 97, according to an obituary published on the company's official website.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee Ka-chiu on Monday expressed his condolences over the property developer's death, saying that Lee Shau-kee was an outstanding business leader and entrepreneur who had made significant contributions to Hong Kong's economic development, as well as the city's prosperity and stability.

Lee Shau-kee, who is a Grand Bauhinia Medal recipient, was born in Shunde, South China's Guangdong Province in February 1928. He founded Henderson Land Development Co in 1976, and was the company's chairman and managing director.

Lee Shau-kee topped the Forbes Rich List as the wealthiest Chinese and richest person in Asia for three consecutive years from 1995 to 1997. He received the Asian Entrepreneur Achievement Award in 1995 and was widely known as the "Real Estate Tycoon," "Stock God of Asia" and "Hong Kong's Buffett," according to the Capital News, a WeChat account affiliated to the Beijing Daily. 

In 1982, Lee Shau-kee established the Hong Kong Pei Hua Education Foundation, which is aimed at cultivating domestic leadership talent for the national rejuvenation, with profound and far-reaching impact, and its graduates have played pivotal roles in leadership positions, read the obituary. 

He also donated funds for large-scale training programs targeting education and medical workers in China's rural areas. Lee Shau-kee received commendations from the national and municipal governments across China, and was conferred the title of Honorary Citizen by cities including Beijing, Guangzhou and Foshan in South China's Guangdong Province, read the obituary.

The obituary said that for decades, Lee Shau-kee, through the Lee Shau Kee Foundation, supported disaster relief and poverty alleviation while prioritizing education. He provided substantial assistance to universities, middle and high schools in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and overseas, improving teaching facilities and establishing scholarships, and his cumulative donations over the years amounted to billions of yuan.

The date of Lee Shau-kee 's funeral will be announced separately once the family has finalized the arrangements, said the obituary.

Global Times