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?)
Here are five of Hong Kong’s richest female actresses.
1. Maggie Cheung Man-yuk
Estimated net worth: US$80 million
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.
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)
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
- 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