AsiansInvest

Family capital / Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Li Ka-shing family

In 1950, Li Ka-shing — then 21, with his own savings plus money borrowed from relatives — rented a small factory in Hong Kong and founded Cheung Kong Plastics Factory, making plastic household goods and toys. He spotted the export potential of plastic flowers in the late 1950s, and Cheung Kong came to account for roughly 60% of Hong Kong's plastic-flower exports, funding his move into real estate in the 1960s.

Ports & logisticsRetailTelecomVenture capital

How the fortune was built

Cheung Kong pivoted into property development and listed publicly in 1972. The defining move came in 1979, when Li acquired a controlling stake in Hutchison Whampoa from HSBC — the first Chinese businessman to take control of one of Hong Kong's old British trading houses. Under Li, Hutchison's port unit grew into the world's largest independent container-terminal operator, its Watsons retail arm became a global health-and-beauty chain, and its '3' mobile brand built networks across 14 markets; Cheung Kong and Hutchison merged in 2015 into CK Hutchison and CK Asset Holdings.

Where the family invests today

The family's tech-investing arm, Horizons Ventures, founded in 2002, built an early reputation backing Facebook, Skype, Spotify, Siri, and Zoom well before they were household names. Recent activity includes AI and biotech bets across Australia, Singapore, and the US. Separately, CK Hutchison has been negotiating a roughly $22.8 billion sale of overseas port terminals to a consortium including MSC and Chinese state shipping interests, still unresolved as of mid-2026.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the history behind the Li Ka-shing family?
In 1950, Li Ka-shing — then 21, with his own savings plus money borrowed from relatives — rented a small factory in Hong Kong and founded Cheung Kong Plastics Factory, making plastic household goods and toys. He spotted the export potential of plastic flowers in the late 1950s, and Cheung Kong came to account for roughly 60% of Hong Kong's plastic-flower exports, funding his move into real estate in the 1960s.
How did the Li Ka-shing family build its fortune?
Cheung Kong pivoted into property development and listed publicly in 1972. The defining move came in 1979, when Li acquired a controlling stake in Hutchison Whampoa from HSBC — the first Chinese businessman to take control of one of Hong Kong's old British trading houses. Under Li, Hutchison's port unit grew into the world's largest independent container-terminal operator, its Watsons retail arm became a global health-and-beauty chain, and its '3' mobile brand built networks across 14 markets; Cheung Kong and Hutchison merged in 2015 into CK Hutchison and CK Asset Holdings.
Where does the Li Ka-shing family invest today?
The family's tech-investing arm, Horizons Ventures, founded in 2002, built an early reputation backing Facebook, Skype, Spotify, Siri, and Zoom well before they were household names. Recent activity includes AI and biotech bets across Australia, Singapore, and the US. Separately, CK Hutchison has been negotiating a roughly $22.8 billion sale of overseas port terminals to a consortium including MSC and Chinese state shipping interests, still unresolved as of mid-2026.