Lee Shau-keeGBM (Chinese: 李兆基; born 7 March 1928) is a Hong Kong business magnate, investor, and philanthropist.[2] He is a real estate tycoon and majority owner of Henderson Land Development, a property conglomerate with interests in property, hotels, restaurants and internet services. In 2019, aged 91, Lee stepped down as chairman and managing director of the company, in favour of two of his sons, Peter and Martin Lee. He retains a role as an executive director.[3]
His personal wealth is estimated to be US$27.8 billion as of July 2024, making him the second wealthiest man in Hong Kong (behind Li Ka-shing), and the 63rd richest in the world.[4] Before the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, he was the fourth-richest person in world.[5]
Since 2006, Lee has accrued profits from his holdings of Mainland-controlled stocks. He is also known as "Uncle Four", one of the very few fourth-born children in the world to have become a multi-billionaire.[6]
Philanthropy
Lee is one of the main sponsors of the HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, having donated more than HK$20 million through the Lee Shau Kee Foundation.[7]
In 2015, Lee donated a site in Yuen Long to charity organisation Po Leung Kuk for it to develop Hong Kong's biggest youth hostel. Lee announced that the units would be leased to young people between the ages of 18 and 30 at half the market rate.[10]
Other than public philanthropy, Lee has given his Henderson Land staff cash gifts to celebrate the birth of four of his grandchildren, in amounts totalling HK$60 million over a nine-year period.[11]