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Richest man in Asia and eight global fortune
according to Forbes in 2013, Li Ka-shing is the boss of conglomerates
Hutchison Whampoa, Cheung Kong Holdings and Watson Group, the world
leader in port management.At 17 years old, Li Ka-shing left his studies
to sell watches in the store of his uncle. Quickly he becomes the best
seller and at the age of 19, he is hired by a company to sell various
metal items. Seller the day, he also works the night to monitor the
manufacturing process. This job allows him to control the operation of a
factory and the product’s commercialization.
In 1947, Li Ka-shing borrows some money to his family and begin selling
artificial flowers. He creates a factory for the production and hires
the best salesmen. The notoriety of the firm increases and Li Ka-shing
signs profitable contracts. In a few years,he becomes the biggest
provider of artificial flowers in Asia.
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In the sixties, the Cultural Revolution moves lot of people to leave the
country and the real estate’ price drop sharply. Li Ka-shing is
convinced that prices will go up so he decides to buy a lot of lands. In
1971, he creates the real estate company Cheung Kong.In a few years, the
businessman appears like “the strong man of the real estate” in Hong
Kong. Front of the globalization, he begins to invest in ports.
In 1979, Li Ka-shing takes the control of Hutchison Whampoa Limited
which he holds 22%. From that time on, starts a rapid expansion which
allows HWL to establish in Rotterdam and Panama. The group becomes the
first global port operator.Since, Li Ka-shing has continued to increase
investment in areas such as telephony. In 1999, he sold his 48% shares
in Orange to the group Mannesman for nearly 15 billion dollars.
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First investor in the 3G, he is the leader in this area in Europe.He has
also invested $ 120 million in the social network Facebook (he holds
0.8%).In 2005 he bought the perfumery chain Marionnaud. He also holds
the airline Air Canada.
Li Ka Shing The richest person of East Asian descent and the eight
richest person in the world with an estimated wealth of US$31 billion.
He is one of the most powerful men in China and is based in Honk Kong.
Being a Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) and Cheung Kong
Holdings his company is the world's largest operator of container
terminals and the world's largest health and beauty retail. Li was
nicknamed as ‘Superman’ in Hong Kong where his global business is based.
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Although Li is Asia’s wealthiest person but this journey was not an easy
one for him. When he was just 12 his family had to vacant China due to
Japanese invasion of China and the whole family came to Honk Kong. Li
had very little chance to take any formal education as he was too young
when his father died and he had to look after the family. who would
believe that one of the richest person on earth had once sold plastic
watchbands, flowers and belts to raise money for daily bread.
By the time he was in his early twenties, in 1950, Li was privileged
enough to start Cheung Kong Industries in few years he became a notable
name in Honk Kong. From industrialized plastics, Li soon developed his
foremost real estate investment company in Hong Kong that was listed on
the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1972. A young boy from China who had to
do low profile jobs to raise his family is a powerful name across the
globe lives a luxurious life. Li owns a sprawling yacht ‘Sunseeker
yacht’ and a grand mansion in Shou ji tianfu.
Li is fond of flying hence he also owns a luxurious private plane ,
Gulfstream 550 which is one of the most comfortable privet jets around
the world. Li has two sons who are also prominent business magnets in
Hong Kong. Although he has a lavish lifestyle but Li is famous for his
simple dressing sense as once in 1990s he wore a $50 timepiece from
Citizen Watch Co. and still is not a brand conscious man. It seems he is
the true follower of the saying “simplicity is the best policy”. |