It's probably easy to give when you have billions from running a casino monopoly for decades. Nevertheless, Stanley Ho Hung-sun was honoured on Wednesday night for his philanthropy to arts and culture. Montblanc, which makes very nice pens, presented its annual cultural patronage prize at the InterContinental Hong Kong Hotel. This year the Macau mogul was selected for his funding of everything from the Arts Festival to the ballet to the University of Hong Kong and the Community Chest.
Receiving the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage award from the company's international chief executive, Lutz Bethge, Ho also got an expensive pen, plus a US$15,000 donation - pocket change for him - to the arts cause of his choice. He chose the Hong Kong Ballet, which reciprocated by sending a few dancers to pirouette during dinner.
'I am very honoured to receive this award,' the 87-year-old tycoon said, before making a couple of witty Cantonese jokes about ink pens.
'My principle is always from society to society.
'And supporting the arts is a life-long effort, but in a speech, the shorter the better.'
Everyone waiting anxiously for the main course applauded that sentiment heartily.