How the grandson of a Hong Kong steel tycoon turned a passion for food and wine into his own empire
Restaurant owner and businessman Paulo Pong Kin-yee opens up about his work–life balance
Paulo Pong Kin-yee is one of Hong Kong’s most successful businessmen and fortunately for him, he still does not think his job feels like real work. The 39-year-old father of three who founded premier wine group Altaya and restaurant chain Classified has carved out his own empire away from the family business at Shiu Wing Steel. He spoke to the Post about business, prejudice and learning to live without his phone.
By birth and marriage you have a very impressive family history of business success - do you feel pressure to keep up?
My family have built a mountain. It’s tough to match, especially in the industry they are already involved in. I’ve learned it’s most important not to focus on making money, but rather focus on being good at what you do. I was very fortunate to have found this passion for wine and food. What I’ve learned most from both sides of my family, is from their experience and business acumen. I mean, success is important, but you need to be good at it and try it. You need to try the best you can and don’t be afraid to fail. Carving out on my own was a breath of fresh air. Being able to follow my passion is a real blessing. It’s wine and food, which are honestly things I have a close relationship with. A lot of the time, it does not feel like work and that’s the good thing about it.
I’m a pretty competitive person, so before I let people judge me, I rate and judge myself.
You grew up in Hong Kong and then studied engineering in the US before working in the wine industry in France - was it a surprise to your family that you wanted to work in this sector?
