Hong Kong tycoons see their wealth surge; the top billionaire remains a familiar name

(Hong Kong, 12th) — U.S. financial magazine Forbes has released its 2026 Hong Kong Rich List, ranking the city’s 50 wealthiest individuals. Li Ka-shing, founder of CK Hutchison Holdings, once again tops the list with a net worth of US$45.1 billion (approximately RM176.2 billion).

In second place is the family of the late Lee Shau-kee, founder of Henderson Land Development. His sons, Peter Lee and Martin Lee, together with the family, hold a combined fortune of US$34.9 billion (about RM136.4 billion). The family of Cheng Yu-tung, chairman of New World Development, ranks third with US$26.1 billion (around RM102 billion).

The five children of the late Lee Man-tat, chairman of Lee Kum Kee Group and known as the “King of Oyster Sauce,” rank fourth with US$17.6 billion (approximately RM68.8 billion). Kwong Siu-hing, chairwoman of Sun Hung Kai Properties, places fifth with US$17.5 billion, moving up one position from last year.

Positions six to ten are occupied by: Peter Woo (former chairman of The Wharf Holdings) with US$14.9 billion; Joseph Lau (founder of Chinese Estates Holdings) with US$14.3 billion; Joseph Tsai (chairman of Alibaba) with US$14.2 billion; the family of Francis Lui (son of the late Galaxy Entertainment founder Lui Che-woo) with US$12.7 billion; and Jean Salata, Asia chairman of private equity giant EQT Group, with US$9.5 billion.

Forbes noted that a wave of initial public offerings (IPOs) and the gradual recovery of Hong Kong’s property market helped make Hong Kong one of Asia’s best-performing stock markets last year. The Hang Seng Index rose nearly 30% since the previous wealth assessment. As a result, the combined net worth of the 50 richest in 2026 increased by 22%, rising from US$301 billion to US$366 billion (approximately RM1.43 trillion).