Nina Wang facts for kids

Nina Wang, born Kung Yu Sum (Chinese: 龔如心; pinyin: Gōng Rúxīn), was an amazing businesswoman. She was born on September 29, 1937, and passed away on April 3, 2007. At the time of her death, she was known as the richest woman in Asia. Her wealth was estimated to be around $4.2 billion.

Nina was married to Teddy Wang, who was a very successful businessman from Hong Kong. He worked in the chemical industry.

Early Life and Business

Nina Wang and her husband, Teddy, moved to Hong Kong. There, their family business grew into a huge company called the Chinachem Group. This company became one of the biggest and most powerful in Hong Kong. It started with a very successful part that made medicines.

Nina and Teddy had known each other since they were young. They became good friends when she was 11 and he was 15. Later, in 1955, they got married.

People often called Nina "Little Sweetie" (or "Siu Tim Tim" in Cantonese). She was known for her two pigtails and for wearing traditional Chinese dresses. When she passed away, she was not only the richest woman in Asia but also the 35th richest person in the world.

Challenging Times

Nina and Teddy Wang faced some very difficult situations. On April 12, 1983, their car was stopped. Teddy Wang was taken away and held for eight days. Nina Wang had to pay a large amount of money to get him back safely.

Then, on April 10, 1990, Teddy Wang was taken again. Sadly, he was never found after this second event. After his disappearance, Nina took charge of the Chinachem Group. She became the "Chairlady" and helped the company grow even bigger, especially in building properties.

Legal Battles Over Wills

Since Teddy Wang was never found, he was officially declared deceased in 1999. After this, there was a big legal discussion about who should receive his fortune. Several different versions of his will appeared in court.

One will, from 1960, said his money should be shared between his father and Nina. Another version, from 1990, said Nina should receive everything. After a long court case, the court first decided that Nina would not get the money. However, Nina appealed this decision.

On September 16, 2005, a higher court, the Court of Final Appeal, changed the earlier ruling. This decision gave Nina control of the huge Chinachem Group company again.

Nina Wang's Passing

On April 4, 2007, the Chinachem Group announced that Nina Wang had passed away the day before. She died at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital.

Later, on April 13, 2007, Chinachem confirmed that Nina had been diagnosed with an illness in February 2004. She traveled to the United States to get treatment at a hospital connected with Harvard University. She received care for more than three years before her death.

Her Legacy and Charity

After Nina Wang's death, there was another legal discussion about her own will and who would receive her vast fortune. Some reports suggested her money would go to one person, while others said her family believed she wanted most of it to go to charity.

It turned out that Nina had written two wills. One, from 2002, stated that her fortune should go to her charitable trust. Another version, from 2006, named a different person as the beneficiary.

After a long court case, the court made a final decision on February 2, 2010. The court decided that the 2006 will was not valid. Instead, they upheld the 2002 will. This meant that Nina Wang's entire fortune would go to the ChinaChem Charitable Foundation. This foundation was set up to support good causes, especially in medical and education developments.

See also

• Nina Tower – This is a very tall building that Nina Wang planned and developed. She named it after herself and her husband, Teddy.