Lui Che Woo

Lui Che Woo
Born	9 8, 1929
Birthplace	Jiangmen, Guangdong, China
Died	Template:Death date and age
Nationality	Chinese (Hong Kong)
Occupation	Businessman, philanthropist
Known for	Founder and chairman of Galaxy Entertainment Group and K. Wah International Holdings
Awards	Grand Bauhinia Medal (GBM)

Lui Che Woo (Template:Zh; 9 August 1929 – 7 November 2024) was a Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist who built a sprawling commercial empire spanning construction materials, real estate, hospitality, and casino gaming. Rising from extraordinarily humble origins — selling peanuts and snacks as a young street vendor — Lui went on to found K. Wah International Holdings and Galaxy Entertainment Group, the latter of which became one of the largest casino operators in Macau and a central force in the territory's transformation into the world's biggest gambling hub, surpassing Las Vegas in gaming revenues. At the time of his death on 7 November 2024 at the age of 95, Lui was one of Hong Kong's wealthiest individuals and among the richest people in Asia. Beyond business, he established the LUI Che Woo Prize, an international award recognising contributions to the advancement of world civilisation, and was known for extensive philanthropic activities in education, healthcare, and welfare.

Early Life

Lui Che Woo was born on 9 August 1929 in Jiangmen, a city in Guangdong province in southern China. He came from humble beginnings, and his early years were shaped by the upheavals of war and economic hardship that swept through the region during the 1930s and 1940s. As a young boy, Lui and his family relocated to Hong Kong, where they sought better opportunities amid the turbulent political landscape of mainland China.

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II, Lui's family endured severe privation. The young Lui demonstrated an early entrepreneurial instinct, earning money by selling peanuts, snacks, and other small goods on the streets to help support his family during the occupation period. This formative experience of hardship and self-reliance would later inform his business philosophy and his emphasis on perseverance and practical problem-solving.

After the war ended and Hong Kong began its post-war recovery, Lui sought opportunities in the colony's rapidly growing economy. With little formal education but considerable drive, he began looking for ways to participate in the construction boom that was beginning to reshape Hong Kong's landscape. His experiences as a young street vendor had given him a keen commercial sense and an understanding of supply and demand that would serve as the foundation for his later ventures in construction materials and real estate development.

Career

Construction Materials and K. Wah Group

Lui Che Woo's business career began in the construction materials industry, where he identified a significant opportunity in the post-war rebuilding of Hong Kong. He entered the quarrying business and steadily expanded his operations, supplying stone and aggregates for the construction projects that were transforming the territory's skyline and infrastructure. His quarrying enterprise grew to become one of the largest suppliers of construction materials in Hong Kong, providing essential inputs for the colony's rapid urbanisation during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

From this base in construction materials, Lui founded what would become the K. Wah Group, a diversified conglomerate with interests spanning property development, construction materials, hospitality, and entertainment. K. Wah International Holdings became the publicly listed flagship of the group and grew into one of Hong Kong's prominent property developers, undertaking residential, commercial, and hospitality projects across Hong Kong and mainland China.

The K. Wah Group's property development arm was responsible for numerous residential and commercial developments in Hong Kong and expanded into mainland Chinese cities as the country opened up to market reforms. The group also developed hotel properties, establishing a hospitality portfolio that complemented its real estate and construction businesses. Under Lui's leadership, K. Wah International Holdings became a listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, giving the group access to capital markets and enabling further expansion.

Lui's success in construction materials and property laid the groundwork for what would become his most prominent and lucrative business venture: casino gaming in Macau.

Galaxy Entertainment Group and Macau Gaming

The most transformative phase of Lui Che Woo's career began in the early 2000s, when the Macau government ended the decades-long gambling monopoly held by Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM), the company controlled by Stanley Ho. In 2002, Macau opened its gaming market to new concessionaires through a competitive licensing process, and Lui's company was among the successful bidders, obtaining one of the coveted gaming concessions.

Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) was established as the gaming arm of the K. Wah Group and quickly became one of the most significant casino operators in Macau. The company developed the Galaxy Macau, a massive integrated resort on the Cotai Strip that featured multiple hotels, a large gaming floor, extensive retail and dining options, entertainment facilities, and a distinctive wave pool and artificial beach. The Galaxy Macau resort became one of the flagship properties on the Cotai Strip and a symbol of Macau's transformation from a niche gambling destination into a world-class entertainment and tourism hub.

Under Lui's chairmanship, Galaxy Entertainment Group expanded its operations significantly. The company developed multiple phases of the Galaxy Macau resort and also operated the StarWorld Hotel, a prominent casino-hotel property on the Macau Peninsula. GEG's growth was fuelled by the extraordinary boom in Macau's gaming industry, which saw the territory's gambling revenues surpass those of Las Vegas to make Macau the world's largest gambling centre by revenue.

Lui served as chairman of Galaxy Entertainment Group and played an active role in the company's strategic direction. His approach to the gaming business emphasised the development of large-scale integrated resorts that combined gaming with non-gaming attractions such as luxury hotels, retail, dining, and entertainment, reflecting the broader industry trend toward diversified resort experiences. This strategy proved commercially successful, and Galaxy Entertainment Group became one of the six concessionaires operating in Macau, alongside companies backed by international gaming giants such as Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, and MGM Resorts International.

Galaxy Entertainment Group was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and grew to become one of the most valuable gaming companies in Asia. Lui's controlling stake in the company was a major component of his personal fortune, which placed him among the wealthiest individuals in Hong Kong and Asia.

The Macau gaming industry experienced significant fluctuations during Lui's tenure as chairman, including a sharp downturn beginning in 2014 driven by the Chinese government's anti-corruption campaign, which reduced the flow of high-rolling mainland Chinese gamblers to Macau's casinos. The industry also suffered severely during the COVID-19 pandemic, when border closures and travel restrictions dramatically reduced visitor numbers. Through these challenges, Galaxy Entertainment Group maintained its position as one of Macau's leading operators, and the company continued to invest in expanding its resort properties in anticipation of the market's recovery.

Business Philosophy and Leadership Style

Lui Che Woo was known for his long-term approach to business and his emphasis on building sustainable enterprises. Having started from extremely modest circumstances, he maintained a reputation for personal frugality and pragmatism even as his wealth grew to extraordinary levels. His career spanned over seven decades of active business involvement, from post-war quarrying operations to 21st-century integrated casino resorts, and he remained chairman of both K. Wah International Holdings and Galaxy Entertainment Group until his death.

His business interests were managed as a family enterprise, with members of the Lui family holding key positions within the K. Wah Group and Galaxy Entertainment Group. This family-controlled structure was typical of many major Hong Kong business conglomerates and allowed Lui to maintain strategic control over his diverse business empire across multiple generations.

Personal Life

Lui Che Woo maintained a relatively private personal life despite his public prominence as one of Hong Kong's wealthiest businessmen. He was known for his involvement in family affairs and for bringing family members into the management of his business enterprises.

Lui died on 7 November 2024 at the age of 95. His death was announced by Galaxy Entertainment Group on 11 November 2024. A memorial service was held in Macau on 27 November 2024, attended by business leaders, government officials, and associates who paid their respects to the late tycoon. A public memorial and funeral service took place on 4–5 December 2024.

Recognition

Honours and Awards

Lui Che Woo received numerous honours and awards throughout his career in recognition of his business achievements and philanthropic contributions. He was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal (GBM), the highest honour bestowed by the Government of Hong Kong, in recognition of his contributions to Hong Kong society. He also held honorary doctoral degrees from multiple universities and was commonly referred to as "Dr. Lui Che Woo" in recognition of these honorary academic distinctions.

LUI Che Woo Prize

In 2015, Lui established the LUI Che Woo Prize – Prize for World Civilisation, an international award designed to recognise individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to world civilisation, with a focus on sustainable development, welfare betterment, and the promotion of positive energy. The prize carried a cash award and was presented annually at a ceremony in Hong Kong.

The LUI Che Woo Prize attracted international recognition and was awarded to a range of recipients from different fields. In 2018, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was named the winner of the LUI Che Woo Prize in the welfare betterment category, recognising the organisation's contributions to weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and disaster risk reduction. The establishment of the prize was seen as an expression of Lui's commitment to using his wealth and influence for purposes beyond commercial gain, and it was modelled on other major international prizes that seek to honour contributions to human progress.

Philanthropy

Beyond the LUI Che Woo Prize, Lui was involved in extensive philanthropic activities, particularly in the areas of education, healthcare, and social welfare. He supported educational institutions and healthcare facilities in Hong Kong, mainland China, and other parts of Asia. His philanthropic efforts were coordinated through the Lui Che Woo Charity foundation and other charitable vehicles associated with the K. Wah Group.

Legacy

Lui Che Woo's career traced an arc from wartime poverty to extraordinary wealth that mirrored and contributed to some of the most significant economic transformations in modern Asian history. His early business activities in construction materials coincided with and supported Hong Kong's post-war industrialisation and urbanisation, while his later entry into Macau's gaming industry placed him at the centre of the territory's emergence as the world's largest gambling market.

As the founder and long-time chairman of Galaxy Entertainment Group, Lui played a central role in the development of the Cotai Strip, the reclaimed land between Macau's two islands that became home to massive integrated resort developments. Galaxy Macau and the company's other properties helped define the modern character of Macau as a destination that sought to combine gaming with broader leisure, retail, and entertainment offerings. The company he built remained one of the six concession holders authorised to operate casinos in Macau and continued as a major employer and economic contributor to the territory.

In Hong Kong, Lui's K. Wah Group remained an established presence in property development and construction materials. His business empire, built over more than seven decades, represented one of the most significant examples of entrepreneurial success in post-war Hong Kong, a city known for producing self-made business magnates who parlayed early commercial instincts into major corporate enterprises.

Lui's establishment of the LUI Che Woo Prize represented an effort to create a lasting philanthropic institution that would outlive its founder. By establishing an international prize with categories spanning sustainable development and welfare betterment, Lui sought to direct attention and resources toward global challenges, positioning himself alongside other wealthy business figures who have used prize-giving as a mechanism for encouraging positive contributions to human civilisation.

At the time of his death, Lui Che Woo was remembered as one of Hong Kong's most prominent self-made businessmen, a figure whose career encompassed the post-war construction boom, the rise of Hong Kong as a global financial centre, the opening of the Chinese economy, and the transformation of Macau into a gaming and entertainment capital. His story — from selling peanuts on the streets of wartime Hong Kong to presiding over a multi-billion-dollar business empire — remained a notable chapter in the economic history of modern Asia.