Key quotes of late business tycoon Lee Shau-kee's lesson in wealth and life

As the city is bidding farewell to late property tycoon Lee Shau-kee, founder of Henderson Land Development, a floral tribute area was set up for attendees to leave messages alongside a memorial booklet showcasing his achievements, notable quotes, and four essential strategies for wealth planning.

Beginning with Lee's calligraphy, "The supreme goodness is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to," the first chapter of the booklet illustrates an overview of Lee's life.

Upon arrival in Hong Kong in 1948, Lee -- known as "Uncle Four" --  founded Sun Hung Kai Enterprises and Henderson Land Group, becoming a pivotal figure in the city's business sector.

The leading businessman was once named the richest man in Asia and ranked fourth on Forbes' "The world's richest people" in 1996, as well as receiving the Grand Bauhinia Medal for his contributions to society in 2007.

Teaching a man to fish rather than offering a fish: Lee

The billionaire once said, "Business should prioritize people, generating profit while serving the community."

Lee was renowned for his generosity, dedicating himself to society's contributions with his wealth, highlighting the importance of building wealth and using it for a greater cause.

He also highlighted the spirit of "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" throughout his whole life.

Lee's impact spread to the education sector, where he provided over one million farmers with practical skill sets to increase their job options and established scholarships in addition to donations to develop teaching facilities at all local universities.

Sponsoring hundreds of students to pursue study

Through the Lee Shau Kee Foundation established in 1979,  a total of 100 students were sponsored to study at Oxford University in the UK in the past 28 years.

Fulfilling charitable promises

Additionally, Lee donated several plots of land for charitable purposes, including a 100,000-square-foot plot in Tuen Mun for the Pok Oi Hospital in 2013 and a site in Yuen Long to the Po Leung Kuk in 2015. 

In 2018, Lee kept his promise of donating HK$1 billion to charities after the Hang Seng Index reached 30,000 points.

Stock numbers on Lee's notes stealing the spotlight

As a significant icon in the city, Lee was always in the media spotlight and willing to share his investment insights, which prompted his written stock numbers on sticky notes to become a focal point for reporters seeking his "tips."

With a strong family value, Lee always made time for family gatherings with his two sons, three daughters, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He often traveled annually for quality time together. 

Encouraging young people to focus on their work or careers instead of leisure, Lee once shared his four strategies for building wealth at Peking University -- work hard and persevere through hardship; avoid early marriage if your financial foundation is unstable; make money work for your first pot of gold; and carefully choose your life-long career.

Lee believed that times always provide opportunities for new heroes amid changing environments, advising youngsters to take advantage of the market's ups and downs.

(Phoebe Poon)