New book pays homage to Cheng Yu-tung, Hong Kong tycoon who enjoyed helping friends, goldsmith apprentice who once upstaged Donald Trump
- Cheng is remembered by tycoons Li Ka-shing, Lee Shau-kee and family friends
- New book commissioned by the family in 2016 sheds light into his personal traits and business philosophy
Yet, little is known about the personal traits of the man who built the Chow Tai Fook and New World Development fortune in Hong Kong. Friends and staff this week pay homage to the man who was not only focused on growing his family business but also took time to help those in need, who enjoyed golfing, a benevolent employer who played occasional pranks on friends.
Cheng Yu Tung: A lifetime of diligence, integrity and dedication, a biography commissioned by the family in 2016, arrived this weekend. It sheds light into some parts of his personal life, business philosophy and friendship through Hong Kong’s arguably most prosperous era at the turn of the century when property prices skyrocketed and the economy boomed on China’s economic tailwind.
The rare nuggets are recounted by the city’s two richest men – Li Ka-shing and Lee Shau-kee – in the preface to the book. Notes from 58 other interviewees, including New World’s Employee #1, present the book as an unmistakable if belated eulogy.
