In fact, Eng is treated like royalty in his own field English-language tutoring.

Every day, hundreds of students arrive an hour earlier, jostling for seats in his classroom, which can only fit 45.

Teachers in my school are nothing compared to Richard, says a student from one of the top secondary schools in Kowloon. Some of them have problems pronouncing the most basic English words, such as fasten, but Richard has mastered even German and French.

Some of Engs students who fail to secure seats in the main room then have to relocated to other classrooms, where they catch his lessons on video.

His popularity in the industry has won him almost everything: an estimated eight-digit annual income, a tutorial school with 13 branches and a massive collection of the most exquisite and limited Louis Vuitton items.

But he is still not satisfied.

The more you get, the more you want to get, says Eng, who became an English teacher at a government- subsidized school 18 years back earning HK$14,000 per month.

The co-founder of Beacon College, 44, is now hatching plans to expand his empire to the mainland and Japan, and even to list the company.

Should the plan bear fruit, Beacon College will be the first education center in Hong Kong to have a stock listing.

Conflicts exist when it comes to education and profit-making, concedes Eng.

Once listed, you are responsible to your shareholders and so making money becomes the main goal of your business, but this obviously contradicts the purpose of education.

As far as taking the school public is concerned, it may be a bit difficult in Hong Kong owing to the regulations for listing on the [local bourse]. Both business ethic and profit should be considered.

For that reason, Eng is contemplating a move to float the company on the New York Stock Exchange.

Eng calculates his every move carefully, not willing to jump in until he has tested the waters several times.

I am a timid person, he says, adding that he has never invested in stocks.

I am against the idea of a teacher investing in stocks, as any fluctuation in the stock market directly affects the mood of the teacher, which will then affect his performance in class.

The victims are innocent students, he says.

Being such a prudent manager of his money, Eng said one-third of what he earns goes to purchasing insurance policies and properties.

He has four houses in Yuen Long and an apartment at the Harbour Green project developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016).

I like Sun Hung Kai because we have a similar philosophy, says Eng.

They build homes with heart, while I teach every student with my heart.

In one of his promotional booklets, Eng wears a Moschino white shirt with a big red heart adorned in the middle of it, delivering a message to parents and students that he does live up to what he says.

I want the people of Hong Kong to recognize our college as the most prestigious and trustworthy private day school and tutorial school, a school which [uses] no gimmicks but provides the best and most accurate knowledge for learners, he says.

The gimmicks Eng was referring to have indeed marred the local tutoring industry.

Some tutorial schools, according to recent reports, paid students who have done well in their public examinations to take pictures with their certificates.

The schools then displayed the photos on their premises in an effort to claim credit for the exemplary performance of the pupils, most of whom never attended the tutorial schools in question.

The truth is Eng does not need to use any gimmick or marketing ploy to draw attention as the Chinese-language media can never get enough of him.

The very important Louis Vuitton customer and owner of a HK$4 million Lamborghini Murcielago, which he has equipped with customized license plates, is already quite famous in Hong Kong.

Last year, Eng paid HK$1.6 million for a LV Tourbillon watch, whose value has risen to HK$1.97 million, thanks to the soaring euro. Asked if he would like to add anything to his long list of fine possessions, Engs voice softens.

I want more time with my daughter and my wife, he says. I really have to thank my wife, who has been taking great care of me and our child, and that gives me peace of mind when I am at work.

Having said that, Eng is still working as hard as he can.

I hope I can retire in 10 years and spend the rest of my life happily with my family, Eng said. I am just keeping my fingers crossed.

Hasnt he already earned enough for the rest of his life? Oh yes, we forget. The more he gets, the more he wants to get.