Lee Shau-kee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Shau-kee
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| 李兆基 | |||||||
Lee in 2013
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| Born | 20 February 1928 |
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| Died | 17 March 2025 (aged 97) The Peak, Hong Kong
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| Spouse(s) | Lau Wai-kuen (divorced) | ||||||
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| Chinese | 李兆基 | ||||||
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Lee Shau-kee (Chinese: 李兆基; 20 February 1928 – 17 March 2025) was a very successful businessman from Hong Kong. He was known for his work in real estate and for giving a lot of money to good causes. He was the main owner of a big company called Henderson Land Development. This company deals with properties, hotels, restaurants, and even internet services in Hong Kong and other places.
In 2019, when he was 91 years old, Lee Shau-kee stepped down as the head of his company. His two sons, Peter and Martin Lee, took over his main roles. He still stayed involved as an executive director. At the time of his passing, his wealth was estimated to be around US$23.2 billion. This made him one of the richest people in Hong Kong and in the world.
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Helping Others: Philanthropy
Lee Shau-kee was a very generous person. He believed in giving back to the community. He supported many educational and charitable projects throughout his life.
Supporting Education
Lee was a major supporter of the HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity. He gave over HK$20 million to this school through his foundation. This money helped young people learn and develop their creative talents.
In 2007, he made two huge donations to universities. He gave HK$500 million to the University of Hong Kong. He also donated HK$400 million to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. These gifts helped these universities grow and offer better education.
In May 2018, Lee donated another HK$100 million. This time, it went to Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. This money helped the university with its plans for the future.
Helping Young People with Homes
In 2015, Lee Shau-kee gave a piece of land in Yuen Long to a charity called Po Leung Kuk. This land was used to build Hong Kong's largest youth hostel. Lee announced that young people between 18 and 30 years old could rent rooms there for half the usual price. This helped many young people find affordable places to live.
Gifts to His Staff
Besides public donations, Lee also gave cash gifts to his own staff at Henderson Land. He did this to celebrate the birth of four of his grandchildren. Over nine years, he gave out a total of HK$60 million to his employees.
His Business Roles
Lee Shau-kee held many important positions in the business world. He was a key figure in several large companies.
- He was the founder, former chairman, and managing director of Henderson Land Development. This was his main company.
- He also served as the former chairman of Hong Kong and China Gas. This company provides gas to homes and businesses.
- He was the former chairman of Miramar Hotel and Investment, which owns hotels and other properties.
- He was a vice-chairman and independent director of Sun Hung Kai Properties.
- He was also on the board of directors for Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) and the Bank of East Asia.
Family Life
Lee Shau-kee had five children. His elder son is Peter Lee Ka-kit, and his younger son is Martin Lee Ka-shing. He also had eight grandchildren. Lee Shau-kee passed away on the evening of March 17, 2025, at the age of 97.
More to Explore
- List of billionaires
- List of Chinese by net worth
- Bloomberg Index
