Joseph Lau slams ‘greedy’ ex-girlfriend in video interview, confirms he wrote newspaper statement about breakup

Fugitive tycoon Joseph Lau Luen-hung, despite being said to be very ill, appeared articulate in a video interview during which he accused ex-girlfriend Yvonne Lui Lai-kwan of being greedy and dismissed speculation that he had been forced to pen a statement about their breakup.

Lau, 65, who was speaking to the Apple Daily on Tuesday after running a full-page announcement in local newspapers about the end of his relationship with Lui in 2014, also revealed he had undergone a kidney transplant and could now play mahjong for hours.

His appearance served to dispel rumours that the statement had not been written by him. Speculation had been rife due to Lau’s list of health problems, including renal failure, heart disease and diabetes, which had been disclosed in recent court hearings. He was also said to have been experiencing speech problems since September.

Explaining why he broke up with Lui, 37, a former Miss Hong Kong semi-finalist, chemistry doctorate holder and mother of two of his children, Lau said: “I’ve known Chan [Hoi-wan, his long-time partner] for more than 10 years, and she has never asked me to buy her gifts or to give her money.”

Lau also has two children with Chan, 37.