Li Ka-shing

Ka-shing Li
Born	29 7, 1928
Birthplace	Chao'an, Chaozhou, Guangdong, China
Nationality	Chinese (Hong Kong), Canadian
Occupation	Business magnate, investor, philanthropist
Title	Senior Advisor, CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings
Known for	Founder of Cheung Kong Holdings; Senior Advisor of CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings; Chairman of Li Ka Shing Foundation
Awards	Malcolm S. Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), Grand Bauhinia Medal (GBM)
Website	[https://www.lksf.org Official site]

Sir Ka-shing Li (Template:Lang; born 29 July 1928) is a Hong Kong billionaire business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Often referred to as "Superman" in Hong Kong business circles, Li built a commercial empire spanning real estate, ports, telecommunications, retail, energy, and financial services across more than fifty countries. He is the senior advisor for CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings, positions he assumed after retiring as chairman of both companies in May 2018. Through CK Hutchison, Li is an investor, developer, and operator of the largest health and beauty retailer in Asia and Europe. His conglomerate, Cheung Kong Holdings, invested in many sectors of the Hong Kong economy and at its height accounted for approximately four percent of the aggregate market capitalisation of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Li is also one of the world's most significant philanthropists, having donated billions of dollars through the Li Ka Shing Foundation, which is the second-largest private foundation in the world after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Despite his vast wealth, Li has maintained a reputation for leading a frugal lifestyle, reportedly wearing simple black dress shoes and an inexpensive Seiko wristwatch, and living in the same house in Deep Water Bay on Hong Kong Island for decades.

Early Life

Li Ka-shing was born on 29 July 1928 in Chao'an, a district within Chaozhou in Guangdong province, China. He grew up in a family that valued education; his father was a schoolteacher. The Li family endured significant hardship during the Second Sino-Japanese War, which disrupted life across southern China and forced many families to flee their homes. In 1940, when Li was twelve years old, his family relocated to Hong Kong to escape the war and the broader instability engulfing the Chinese mainland.

The family's circumstances deteriorated further after their arrival in Hong Kong. Li's father fell ill with tuberculosis and died when Li was still a teenager. The loss of the family's primary breadwinner forced Li to abandon his formal education and take on the responsibility of supporting his family at a young age. He found work in a plastics factory, beginning what would become a lifelong career in commerce and industry. The experience of poverty and the necessity of working from a young age shaped Li's approach to business and his later emphasis on self-reliance and diligence.

During his years working in the plastics trade, Li demonstrated an aptitude for manufacturing and sales that would prove foundational to his later entrepreneurial ventures. By his early twenties, he had accumulated enough experience and modest savings to contemplate starting his own enterprise. The post-war Hong Kong economy, though still recovering, offered opportunities for ambitious entrepreneurs willing to work in the colony's expanding manufacturing sector. Li's background as a Chaozhou native — part of a diaspora community known for its commercial networks across Southeast Asia — also provided him with cultural and business connections that would prove valuable in the decades ahead.

Career

Early Entrepreneurship: Cheung Kong Industries

In 1950, Li Ka-shing founded Cheung Kong Industries, a plastics manufacturing company. The company initially produced plastic flowers and other consumer goods, capitalising on the growing global demand for inexpensive plastic products during the post-war era. The name "Cheung Kong" (長江) refers to the Yangtze River, China's longest river — a symbolic choice reflecting Li's ambition for the company to grow as vast and powerful as the great waterway. Under Li's leadership, Cheung Kong Industries grew rapidly, establishing itself as one of Hong Kong's leading manufacturers. The success of the plastics business provided Li with the capital and business acumen to diversify into other industries, most notably real estate.

Expansion into Real Estate

By the late 1950s and into the 1960s, Li began shifting his focus from manufacturing to real estate development, recognising the enormous potential of Hong Kong's property market as the territory's population and economy expanded. He began purchasing land and developing residential and commercial properties, a strategy that would ultimately form the core of his business empire. Cheung Kong Holdings grew to become one of Hong Kong's most prominent property developers, building residential estates, office towers, and commercial complexes across the territory.

In 1979, Li achieved a landmark deal that cemented his status as one of Hong Kong's most powerful businessmen. He acquired a controlling stake in Hutchison Whampoa, one of the oldest and largest British-controlled trading houses in Hong Kong, known as a "hong." The acquisition was significant not only for its commercial value but also for its symbolic importance: it marked one of the first times a Chinese entrepreneur had taken control of a major British colonial-era conglomerate. The deal transformed Li from a successful local businessman into an international business figure and gave him control of a diversified conglomerate with operations in ports, retail, energy, telecommunications, and property.

Building a Global Conglomerate

Through Hutchison Whampoa (later reorganised as CK Hutchison Holdings), Li expanded aggressively into global markets. The company became one of the world's largest port operators, managing container terminals in Hong Kong, mainland China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Hutchison's port operations grew to encompass facilities in dozens of countries, making it a critical player in global trade infrastructure.

Li also built a massive retail empire through A.S. Watson Group, a subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa that became the largest health and beauty retailer in Asia and Europe. The group operates well-known chains including Watsons, Superdrug, and other retail brands across multiple continents. The telecommunications arm of the empire, branded under the 3 network, became a significant mobile operator in the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Ireland, and several other markets.

In 1984, amidst uncertainty about Hong Kong's future following the announcement of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, several major British firms in Hong Kong began restructuring their operations. Jardine Matheson, one of Hong Kong's oldest trading houses, moved its domicile to Bermuda in March 1984, a decision interpreted as a hedge against political risk. Li, by contrast, maintained his base in Hong Kong while simultaneously expanding his global footprint, a strategy that positioned him to benefit from both Hong Kong's continued growth and the opening of the Chinese mainland economy.

Li's energy investments also became a major component of his portfolio. Through Husky Energy in Canada and various other holdings, he developed significant interests in oil and gas production, power generation, and utility infrastructure across multiple continents.

Technology Investments through Horizons Ventures

In addition to his traditional industrial and real estate holdings, Li Ka-shing became a notable technology investor through Horizons Ventures, his private investment arm. Horizons Ventures backed a wide array of technology companies at early stages, many of which went on to achieve significant valuations.

In 2009, Hutchison Whampoa's digital music division invested in Spotify, the Swedish music streaming service, at an early stage of its development. Li's investment firm also backed Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant technology that was later acquired by Apple Inc. and integrated into the iPhone.

In 2012, Li acquired a stake in Ginger Software, a language technology company. In 2015, Horizons Ventures participated in a $30 million funding round for Zoom Video Communications, the video conferencing platform that would later become a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic. That same year, Horizons Ventures was part of a $108 million investment round in Impossible Foods, the plant-based meat company.

Li's technology portfolio extended into blockchain and financial technology. Horizons Ventures participated in a $55 million Series A investment in Blockstream, a blockchain technology company. The firm also backed Expa, a startup studio founded by Uber co-founder Garrett Camp, which opened Expa Labs in 2016 to provide companies with $500,000 in funding.

In 2017, Li Ka-shing partnered with Jack Ma of Alibaba Group to bring digital wallet services to Hong Kong, reflecting Li's ongoing interest in financial technology and digital payments.

Corporate Reorganisation and Retirement

In 2015, Li Ka-shing undertook a major reorganisation of his corporate empire, restructuring Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa into two new entities: CK Hutchison Holdings (focused on non-property businesses including ports, retail, telecommunications, and infrastructure) and CK Asset Holdings (focused on property). The reorganisation simplified the group's complex corporate structure and was intended to unlock shareholder value.

In May 2018, at the age of 89, Li officially retired as chairman of both CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings, handing control to his elder son, Victor Li. Li assumed the title of senior advisor to both companies, maintaining an advisory role while stepping back from day-to-day management.

Panama Ports Dispute (2026)

In early 2026, CK Hutchison's port operations became a focal point in a geopolitical dispute involving the Panama Canal. Li Ka-shing's conglomerate had long operated container terminals near the canal, one of the world's most strategically important waterways. The issue gained international attention after U.S. President Donald Trump called for the United States to retake control of the canal during his inauguration speech.

In February 2026, Panamanian authorities enforced a Supreme Court ruling to oust CK Hutchison from its port terminal operations, in what CK Hutchison described as a forced takeover. CK Hutchison Holdings stated publicly that the Panamanian government's takeover of its port terminals was unlawful, asserting that the company's operations had been conducted in compliance with all applicable agreements and laws. The dispute placed Li and his conglomerate at the centre of broader U.S.–China tensions, with analysts noting that CK Hutchison's Hong Kong origins made its Panama operations politically sensitive in the context of great power competition.

Personal Life

Li Ka-shing married his cousin Chong Yuet-ming (莊月明) in 1963. The couple had two sons: Victor Li and Richard Li. Chong Yuet-ming died in 1990. Li did not remarry. Victor Li succeeded his father as chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings upon Li's retirement in 2018. Richard Li pursued his own business career, founding PCCW, a Hong Kong-based telecommunications and media conglomerate.

Li holds citizenship in both Hong Kong (as part of the People's Republic of China) and Canada. He has been known for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth, reportedly continuing to wear an inexpensive Seiko wristwatch and simple clothing, and living in the same residence in Deep Water Bay on Hong Kong Island for decades.

Philanthropy

Li Ka-shing is one of the world's most prominent philanthropists. He established the Li Ka Shing Foundation as his primary vehicle for charitable giving. The foundation, which Li has described as his "third son," has donated billions of dollars to education, healthcare, and other causes. It is the second-largest private foundation in the world after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Forbes included Li on its list of the most generous philanthropists outside the United States.

The foundation's activities have spanned a wide range of initiatives. Li has funded the construction and endowment of universities and medical schools, including Shantou University in Guangdong province. The foundation has also supported disaster relief, medical research, and community services in Hong Kong and internationally.

In February 2026, the Li Ka Shing Foundation partnered with Hong Kong Disneyland Resort to offer free park visits to 5,000 migrant domestic workers from various ethnic backgrounds in Hong Kong. The initiative was announced as a gesture of appreciation for the contributions of foreign domestic helpers to Hong Kong society.

Recognition

Li Ka-shing has received numerous awards and honours throughout his career. In 2006, Forbes Magazine and the Forbes family presented Li with the inaugural Malcolm S. Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony in Singapore on 5 September 2006. The award recognised Li's contributions to global business and entrepreneurship.

Li was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in recognition of his contributions to business and public service. He has also received the Grand Bauhinia Medal (GBM), the highest honour awarded by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, for his distinguished service to the community.

Forbes Magazine has consistently ranked Li among the wealthiest individuals in the world. In the March 2024 Forbes list of The Richest People In The World, Li Ka-shing was ranked 38th. He has frequently been listed as the richest person in Hong Kong and one of the wealthiest in Asia.

Legacy

Li Ka-shing's career arc — from a refugee child who lost his father to tuberculosis and dropped out of school, to the builder of one of Asia's largest business empires — has made him an emblematic figure in Hong Kong's post-war economic development. His acquisition of Hutchison Whampoa in 1979 marked a turning point not only in his personal career but in the broader transition of Hong Kong's economy from British colonial-era dominance to Chinese entrepreneurial leadership.

Through CK Hutchison and its predecessors, Li helped establish Hong Kong as a global centre for trade, logistics, and finance. His port operations connected markets across continents, and his retail and telecommunications businesses brought Hong Kong-based enterprise to dozens of countries. His technology investments through Horizons Ventures positioned him as one of the earliest major Asian investors in Silicon Valley startups, backing companies that went on to reshape industries including music streaming, video conferencing, artificial intelligence, and food technology.

Li's philanthropic commitments, channelled through the Li Ka Shing Foundation, have had a lasting impact on education and healthcare, particularly in southern China and Hong Kong. His endowment of Shantou University provided his native Chaozhou region with a major institution of higher learning.

The 2026 Panama ports dispute has illustrated the extent to which Li's business legacy is intertwined with broader geopolitical dynamics. CK Hutchison's global port operations, built over decades under Li's leadership, have become strategically sensitive assets in the context of U.S.–China competition, a development that has placed his commercial empire at the intersection of international politics in his later years.