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5 of Hong Kong’s richest actresses, ranked – from Carina Lau and In the Mood for Love star Maggie Cheung, to Rosamund Kwan and Gigi Lai (but who has the most millions?)

Meet some of Hong Kong’s richest actresses: Carina Lau, Rosamund Kwan, Maggie Cheung, Gigi Lai and Anita Yuen. Photos: @carinalau1208, @rosamundkwan, @gigilai_official, @anitayuenwy/Instagram; Imaginechina
Hong Kong is no stranger to the opulent lifestyles of the crazy rich. From the moment these actresses stepped foot into the entertainment industry, they’ve stunned and captivated audiences in the city and across the globe. But while some may step back from the limelight after their heydays, these screen goddesses from the 80s and 90s still get to live the lavish life thanks to their successes.

Here are five of Hong Kong’s richest female actresses.

1. Maggie Cheung Man-yuk

Estimated net worth: US$80 million

Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung arrives at the Louis Vuitton “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” exhibition in Shanghai, China, in 2018. Photo: Imaginechina
Iconic Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung has an estimated net worth of US$80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Since the start of her career after placing second in the 1983 Miss Hong Kong Pageant, the 57-year-old achieved critical success between the late 80s and early 00s, starring in films like As Tears Go By, Comrades: Almost a Love Story and, of course, Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love.
Maggie Cheung is among Hong Kong’s highest-paid actresses, with a staggering estimated net worth of US$80 million. Photo: 芒果TV/Weibo

Cheung became the first Asian actress to be nominated for the prestigious French César award for best actress in 2004, for her role in the drama film Clean. The actress also won best actress for her performance in the film at the Cannes Film Festival in the same year. Although her last film appearance was in Ten Thousand Waves in 2010, Cheung is still working in showbiz.

The actress also ventured into making music. In 2016, she released her first single Look in My Eyes through Modernsky, a China-based indie record company. She performed her music in Beijing at the 2014 Strawberry Music Festival.

Maggie Cheung appeared as a guest on the show Master in the House. Photo: 芒果TV/Weibo

In 2018, Cheung shocked her fans when she appeared at a Louis Vuitton event with a new short, bright orange hairstyle. While she has stayed out of the public eye, Cheung recently appeared as a guest on the Chinese programme Master in the House where she got to show a carefree and a down-to-earth version of herself.

2. Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam

Estimated net worth: around US$64.5 million (based on her properties)

Rosamund Kwan has reportedly amassed a US$64.5 million net worth. Photo: @rosamundkwan/Instagram
From her properties alone, Rosamund Kwan has an estimated net worth of US$64.5 million. As the queen of 80s and 90s cinema, Kwan is one of Hong Kong’s wealthiest celebrities. And since her retirement from acting from 2007, Kwan has kept herself busy – and grown her bank account even more – by investing in real estate in her home city.
Hong Kong celebrity Rosamund Kwan owns lavish properties across the city. Photo: @rosamundkwan/Instagram

Her Tregunter Towers flat in the heights of the Mid-Levels gives her the best views of Victoria Harbour, all from the comfort of home. Kwan has also been known to shell out on properties, such as her duplex unit at Starcrest Tower in Admiralty that sold for HK$54 million (US$6.9 million) and her detached mansion at The Nautilus in Repulse Bay that cost a whopping HK$113 million (US$14.5) according to hk.on.cc.

Rosamund Kwan will be leaving her massive fortune to her younger brother Eric Kwan, who works as a feng shui master. Photo: @rosamundkwan/Instagram

If you were wondering who will inherit Kwan’s money, since she is single without any children, then we’ve got answers. Rumour has it that Kwan will be leaving all her money to her younger brother, 48-year-old Eric Kwan, according to 8 Days. Kwan is believed to be on very good terms with her younger brother, who works as a feng shui master.

3. Carina Lau Ka-ling

Estimated net worth: US$61 million

Carina Lau has an estimated net worth of US$61 million. Photo: @carinalau1208/Instagram
A key presence in the local fashion scene, Carina Lau is an icon among Hong Kong’s lavish ladies. According to PopularBio, the 54-year-old has an estimated net worth of US$61 million, owing her success to being an entrepreneur, a restaurateur and a nightclub business owner in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. Setting foot into the fashion world in 2017, Lau invested 20 million RMB (US$3.2 million) in her own fashion brand Anirac, according to Jayne Stars.
Carina Lau is married to Shang-Chi star Tony Leung. Photo: @carinalau1208/Instagram
Living together with her husband Tony Leung, the couple have stunning homes in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Allegedly, her 4,800 sq ft mansion in Hong Kong is worth HK$200 million (US$25.7 million), according to 8 Days.

Eagle-eyed fans have spotted an antique vase inside one of Lau’s flats that dates back to the Qing dynasty, which was auctioned for 42.6 million RMB (US$6.6 million) in 2017.

In 2008, Lau and Leung got married in Bhutan and certainly didn’t hold back on expenses. There are rumours that the wedding cost more than HK$30 million (US$4 million). The finishing touch was Lau’s Cartier 12-carat wedding ring, at a steep estimated cost of over HK$10 million (US$1.3 million).
Carina Lau wed Tony Leung in a lavish ceremony in Bhutan in 2008. Photo: @carinalau1208/Instagram

Similar to Kwan, word on the street is that Lau is planning to give her fortune all to a family member – her 25-year-old nephew Jeff Lau, according to Jayne Stars.

Don’t we all wish that we could have family members as generous as these ladies?

4. Gigi Lai

Estimated net worth: US$13 million

Iconic Hong Kong actress Gigi Lai has a US$13 million net worth. Photo: @gigilai_official/Instagram
With an estimated net worth of US$13 million, Gigi Lai is one of Hong Kong’s iconic 90s and early 00s actresses. Emerging on screens across Hong Kong in TVB dramas, the 50-year-old became a household name after her TV performances in The Heaven Sword, Dragon Saber and War and Beauty. Despite leaving the entertainment industry, Lai has found success as an entrepreneur with numerous businesses under her belt.

Lai took over her brother’s cosmetic business CosMax and she expanded them into a chain of beauty clinics across Hong Kong. According to Today Online, Lai’s company Miricor Enterprises Holdings was recently bought into by Chinese developer Meitu.

Former Hong Kong actress Gigi Lai owns several luxury flats in Hong Kong. Photo: @gigilai_official/Instagram

Lai married wealthy businessman Patrick Ma in 2009 and retired from acting. The couple, who have three daughters together, own several lavish properties across Hong Kong, including the a US$5.7 million high-rise flat Tavistock II building in the Mid-Levels.

The former actress also owns a house in Repulse Bay named The Beachfront for US$12.6 million, and bought a duplex unit in The Tregunter for US$36 million in 2007, according to local media.

Gigi Lai is one of Hong Kong’s iconic 90s and early 00s actresses. Photo: @gigilai_official/Instagram

In 2010, Lai gave birth to twin daughters, Pricia and Gianna. To celebrate the birth of their twins, her husband Ma gifted her a luxury yacht, which can be seen occasionally on Lai’s Instagram.

5. Anita Yuen

Estimated net worth: US$8 million

Actress Anita Yuen represented Hong Kong at the Miss Universe 1991 pageant in Las Vegas. Photo: @anitayuenwy/Instagram

Anita Yuen has a loosely estimated net worth of US$8 million, according to NetWorthPost. Snagging the award of Miss Photogenic and third place in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant in 1990, Yuen then went on to represent Hong Kong in the Miss Chinese International Pageant the following year, placing as the first runner up. She also represented Hong Kong at the Miss Universe 1991 pageant in Las Vegas.

Aside from being a beauty pageant queen, Yuen is also a well-known actress in Hong Kong, holding numerous accolades such as best actress for her performances in films like the 1994 C’est la Vie, Mon Chéri and 1995 film He’s a Woman, She’s a Man. Yuen has also been in many TV shows and recently starred in Chinese reality programmes such as Viva La Romance 2 by MangoTV.

Anita Yuen has starred in films like the 1994 C’est la Vie, Mon Chéri and 1995 film He’s a Woman, She’s a Man. Photo: @anitayuenwy/Instagram

Married to popular actor Julian Cheung Chi-lam, the couple got married in the US in 2001 and now have a son named Morton. The family lives in a flat located in Repulse Bay’s Manhattan Tower.

With a gorgeous view of the sea, reports say that a flat in the area can go up to HK$160 million (around US$20.5 million). However, the couple have an interesting practice when it comes to their living spaces. Preferring to rent, they move flats every few years rather than settling down and buying their own property, according to 8 Days.

Anita Yuen is a huge fan of luxury goods from brands like Hermès, Rolex and Patek Philippe. Photo: @anitayuenwy/Instagram
Known for being a lover of luxury goods, Yuen has a large collection of luxury bags, shoes and watches in her arsenal. She is a huge fan of Hermès, Rolex and Patek Philippe. You can catch Yuen flexing her lusxury collection on her Instagram or Weibo account.
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  • Beauty pageant queen Anita Yuen lives in a luxury flat in Repulse Bay, while Carina Lau shares her stunning mansion with her husband, Shang-Chi star Tony Leung
  • Maggie Cheung bagged a Cannes Film Festival award for her role in Clean, while Gigi Lai starred in TVB classics like The Heaven Sword and War and Beauty