‘An extraordinary man’: China’s tobacco and orange king, entrepreneur Chu Shijian, dies aged 91
- He made his name by turning Yuxi Tobacco Company – later renamed the Hongta Tobacco Group – into a thriving national tobacco giant in the 1980s and 1990s
- He was also head of an orange-growing empire in a remote, mountainous area of Yunnan province, southwest China, called Chu Oranges
One of China’s most iconic entrepreneurs, tobacco king Chu Shijian, died on Tuesday, aged 91.
Chu, who made his name by turning a small, local cigarette factory into a thriving national tobacco giant in the 1980s and 1990s, ended his days as the head of an orange-growing empire in a remote, mountainous area of Yunnan province, southwest China.
Chu Oranges are famous throughout the country and still sell at a premium over competitors’ fruit.
In between his two successful business enterprises, Chu’s life was turbulent. His career as a star manager of a state-owned tobacco company ended in disgrace when he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1999 for corruption. His wife and only daughter were also jailed, and his daughter died soon afterwards in prison.
I respected him because I could see entrepreneurship in him.
He was released on medical parole in 2002 and began his second life as China’s best known orange grower.
A long list of Chinese entrepreneurs paid homage to Chu, remembering him for his management skills and his unyielding spirit.