While the battle for the city's new chief executive has yet to formally kick off, bankers and brokers have began speculating about who will be the new 'God of Fortune' - the financial secretary.
Although John Tsang Chun-wah, the current God of Fortune lavished a HK$6,000 windfall to all permanent residents, many have criticised his lack of vision and few expect he will stay on.
Two different name lists have been making the rounds, depending whether former Executive Council convenor Leung Chun-ying or former Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen, the two chief executive hopefuls, win.
Should Tang win, financiers believe the new God of Fortune would be from the 'old boys' club', and they have named Norman Chan Tak-lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, as the most likely candidate.
It is not a surprise because the 57-year-old central banker, who took over from Joseph Yam Chi-kwong in 2009, knows the financial market well. The former civil servant, who joined the government as an administrative officer in 1976, has worked in many different government departments and has good mainland contacts.
Chan has worked hard to promote offshore yuan trading, which has been welcomed by local bankers. However, if Chan becomes the new God of Fortune, his wife Diana Chan Tong Chee-ching may need to quit as the managing director of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority to prevent any conflict of interests.
