As the eldest grandson and heir of William Louey Sui-tak, Kowloon Motor Bus founder, William Louey Lai-kuen doesn't worry about short-term gains, like chasing overheated markets or betting on Hang Seng Index futures.
Though he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and is happy to admit it, he is a successful investor in his own right. He made a profit in his first investment in an oil stock when he was an 18-year-old student, and has subsequently made many profitable property deals in both Hong Kong and Britain.
Mr Louey's investment returns may have boosted him from first class to his own private jet, but he prefers to emphasise his charity fund, William SD Louey, named after his grandfather, which sponsors 35 talented mainland children to study at universities in the United States and Britain.
In business, Mr Louey has made movies - like the finale of Tsui Hark's A Chinese Ghost Story trilogy. He's also been a restaurateur, known for his famous eatery in Tsim Sha Tsui - Tartufo. Opened in 1989, it featured waiters and waitresses singing opera, and appeared in a number of Hong Kong movies. Though it lifted Mr Louey into the social elite, the restaurant finally closed in 1993, a victim of an inconvenient location and overspending on decorations, cutlery and high personnel cost for staffers capable of singing opera.
The failure of Tartufo did not discourage his entrepreneurial spirit. The 48-year-old accountancy graduate invested in and is now chairman of Hong Kong Construction (Technology). He is married with a daughter and a son.
Does being the heir of the founding family of The Kowloon Motor Bus Co affect your investment style? Are there any family rules on investments?