David Harilela
A third-generation Hongkonger, entrepreneur and philanthropist, David Harilela is CEO of the David Harilela Group and director of a handful of other companies, as well as the district governor of the Rotary Club’s local chapter. A member of one of the city’s biggest and most well-known families, he tells Leanne Mirandilla about his love of family, music and independence—as well as his recently launched international humanitarian award “The One.”
As a kid, I remember poverty. I remember that my father worked very hard. I don’t know what age I was—maybe below seven—and I remember sharing a bedroom with my mother, my father and my sister. That’s my first memory.
After that I went to school at DBS [Diocesan Boys’ School] and fell in love with music. I’d play the drums on my desk. My friend said, “Let’s start a band.” And which teenager doesn’t want to be a band hero so he can draw attraction? Since I couldn’t play guitar, I became a singer.
I loved my dad and I didn’t want to ask him [for money]. So I started singing, making money. It made me feel proud to be capable. We sang at parties or balls. I even made us play professionally for two months at a disco.
We were offered a recording contract. But I was in a rock group at the time, and [the company] wanted us to sing music that they would choose, which was bubblegum. And we didn’t want to do it—we felt that we needed to be true to ourselves. All my friends are [now] doing very well. They went on to be very successful, like [Cantopop star] Samuel Hui.
I just play for my own entertainment [now]. I love my music, I sing for friends, I entertain for charity a lot. I never charge. I don’t think I’m that bad—hopefully.
The minute I came back [from college], I went right to work [for my dad]. He had a huge company and a huge staff and he didn’t really need me, but I worked very hard seven days a week for seven to eight years. I was a real workaholic.
My hero is my dad. My dad is the greatest human being I’ve ever met. He gives to priests, he gives to thieves. He’s given most of his money away, and he helps anybody. Sometimes I worry about him. He once gave a large amount of money to somebody and I said, “Dad, that guy was a crook. Come on!” And he said, “Yeah, I know. But if I don’t give him the money, who would?”
The world is a mess—can you trust your bank? Your government? Aside from Hong Kong, which is really pretty good, the major economies of Europe and America are in chaos. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. There’s something wrong, and what’s wrong is the moral fiber.