Ueber Asia

“WORLD CLASS ASSETS – WORLD CLASS SOLUTIONS”

Sir Ka-shing Li, GBM, KBE,[3] JP (born 13 June 1928 in Chaozhou, China)[4][5] is a Hong Kong business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as of October 7, 2013 he is the richest person in Asia, with a net worth of $28.8 billion. He is the Chairman of the Board of Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) and Cheung Kong Holdings as of 2008; through them, he is the world’s largest operator of container terminals and the world’s largest health and beauty retailer.[6]

Considered one of the most powerful figures in Asia, Li was named “Asia’s Most Powerful Man, Li Ka-Ching” by Asiaweek in 2001. His companies make up 15% of the market cap of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.[7] Forbes Magazine and the Forbes family honoured Li Ka-shing with the first ever “Malcolm S. Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award” on 5 September 2006, in Singapore.[8] In spite of his wealth, Li has cultivated a reputation for leading a no-frills lifestyle, and is known to wear simple black dress shoes and an inexpensive Seiko wristwatch, which is at odds with the house he owns in one of Hong Kong’s most expensive precincts, Deep Water Bay in Hong Kong Island. Li is also regarded as one of Asia’s most generous philanthropists, donating over US $1.41 billion to date to charity and other various philanthropic causes.[9] Li is often referred to as “Superman” in Hong Kong because of his business prowess.[10][11] Because of his wealth, he is regarded as a celebrity, and even has a wax statue in his likeness (the only non-artist to have one in Hong Kong). See: Li Ka-shing wax statue in Hong Kong

Li Ka-shing was born in Chaozhou in Guangdong province, China, in 1928 to Teochew descendants. Due to his father’s death, he was forced to leave school before the age of 15 and found a job in a plastics trading company where he laboured 16 hours a day. By 1950 he was able to start his own company, Cheung Kong Industries. From manufacturing plastics, Li led and developed his company into a leading real estate investment company in Hong Kong that was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1972. Cheung Kong expanded by acquiring Hutchison Whampoa and Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited in 1979 and 1985 respectively.[12]

The last time we attended the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show we sponsored a booth for our Carnival Resorts & Casinos, Freeport, Grand Bahamas Event where Sir Freddie Laker resided. Merrill Lynch funded the projects. Billionaire Carl Icahn was aboard The White Rabbit US $ 25 Million FedShip with an additional US $ 10 Million in artwork. The owner was Hong Kong Billionaire Li Ka Shing, who owns 51% interest in The Grand Bahama Development Authority and the Panama Canal thru Hutchinson Whampoa.

Samuel Parkman (& Co) have been trading with Asia since the 1800’s @ Canton amongst other Asian Ports.

Samuel Parkman (looks a lot like George Washington – likely painting by Gilbert Stuart that Samuel commissioned to paint George Washington standing in front of his white horse – see full size oil painting that now hangs in Boston Museum of Fine Art and prior to that in the Faneuil Hall – as posted further on in this blog)