Biography
Li Ka-shing is among the world's most closely watched billionaires from HONG KONG, with an estimated fortune of $50B. The bulk of Li Ka-shing's wealth comes from Diversified, closely tied to Diversified. Li Ka-shing, born in 1928, is a Hong Kong billionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the senior advisor for CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings, after retiring as chairman in 2018. Li's source of wealth is diversified across industries including real estate, ports, telecommunications, retail, and energy. His career began at age 15, after being forced to leave school and support his family. He started Cheung Kong Industries in 1950, and expanded it into a leading real estate investment company. Known for his business acumen, he is often called "Superman." Li's achievements include building a vast global empire and making significant investments in technology, while also being a dedicated philanthropist. Key career milestones include Founded Cheung Kong Industries (1950); Acquired Hutchison Whampoa (1979); Established Li Ka Shing Foundation (1980); Retired as Chairman (2018). This profile documents verified holdings, career milestones, and multi-year net worth history drawn from Forbes rankings, company filings where available, and our editorial methodology. Readers use it to understand how public markets, private company stakes, and major business bets shape one of the largest personal fortunes on record. Wealth estimates move with stock prices, funding rounds, and disclosed transactions—figures on this page are research estimates, not cash balances. We publish year-by-year net worth history when verified data exists, link to primary sources, and update profiles when Forbes Real-Time Billionaires or major filings change the picture materially. For investors and researchers, the most useful reading pairs the headline number with ownership structure, geography, sector exposure, and the multi-year history chart on this page—especially during volatile markets when single-day moves can shift rankings without any operational change at the underlying companies.