Chau Chak Wing
Chau Chak-wing | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1949 Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China |
| Occupation(s) | Property developer, businessman, philanthropist |
| Known for | Chairman of Kingold Group |
Chau Chak-wing (; born 1949) is a Chinese-Australian property developer and serves as chairman of the Kingold Group, a real estate enterprise based in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China (PRC). Chau has gained recognition for his major property ventures and developments across China and Australia. Throughout his professional journey, media outlets and research organizations have highlighted connections between Chau and entities affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Early life and career
Originating from Guangdong Province, PRC, Chau’s family roots trace back to either Chaozhou or Shantou. He relocated to Hong Kong during the 1970s, later moved to Australia in the 1980s, and made his way back to Guangdong in 1988.
In the early 1990s, Chau launched the Kingold Group (also known as Qiao Xin Group), which operates in sectors including real estate, finance, education, hospitality, healthcare, and media.
He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Keuka College in the United States in 2004.
Chau founded the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association (ACFEA) in September 2005 with the aim of enhancing bilateral ties.
Since August 2011, Chau has held the position of chairman at Guangdong Huaxing Bank, having previously been a board director.
New Express Daily
In 2001, Chau collaborated with the Guangzhou provincial government’s Yangcheng Evening News to introduce the New Express Daily newspaper in China.
By 2004, he had established The Australian New Express Daily (), a simplified Chinese-language publication in Australia with pro-Beijing orientation. This newspaper was overseen by his daughter Winky Chow, who formerly advised on ethnic policy for New South Wales Premier Bob Carr, who also officiated at its launch. The publication actively supported the interests of the Chinese government within Australia. In a 2009 interview, Chau noted that the Chinese authorities praised the newspaper for its avoidance of critical reporting. Foreign policy analyst Bates Gill referenced it as an instance of Chinese governmental influence.
The Australian New Express Daily ended its print edition in 2019 and discontinued updates on its website and social media platforms by 2021.
Personal life
Chau is married to So Chun Chau. Together they have three children, including their son Eric, who pursued design studies at the University of Technology Sydney. Chau has sustained relationships with prominent Guangdong officials, attributing these connections to his leadership roles in various business organizations.
In 2015, Chau purchased the Vaucluse estate known as 'La Mer' from Australian billionaire James Packer for an estimated $70 million.
Net worth
| Year | Financial Review Rich List | Forbes China Rich List | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Net worth (A$) | Rank | Net worth (US$) | |
| 2017 | $1.56 billion | |||
| 2018 | 45 | $1.63 billion 
|
378 | $0.90 billion Template:Loss |
| 2019 | 58 Template:Loss | $1.55 billion Template:Loss | n/a | not listed |
| 2020 | 15
|
$4.60 billion
|
n/a | not listed |
| 2021 | 20 Template:Loss | $4.57 billion Template:Loss | ||
| 2022 | 23 Template:Loss | $4.50 billion Template:Loss | ||
| 2023 | 21
|
$4.43 billion Template:Loss | ||
| 2024 | 28
|
$4.20 billion Template:Loss | ||
| 2025 | 43 Template:Loss | $3.72 billion Template:Loss | ||
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
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No change from previous year |
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|
Increased from previous year |
| Template:Loss | Decreased from previous year |
Philanthropic Activities
In May 2009, Chau contributed 3 million to a training centre operated by a Chinese Public Security Bureau aimed at enhancing social management capabilities.
By 2010, he committed 20 million over a decade to support the A$150 million development of the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), along with establishing a 5 million scholarship fund. The building reached completion in 2013, and Chau was awarded an honorary doctorate from UTS in 2014.
In 2015, Chau made a further donation of 15 million towards the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, which officially opened in 2020. That same year, he gifted 60,000 to the Australian War Memorial for their Anzac Diversity Education Program and provided 500,000 for the Kingold Education and Media Centre.
The Chau Chak Wing Foundation was founded by Chau in 2019. Later that year, he donated A$500,000 to Soldier On, an organisation supporting veterans and their families, with additional financial commitments pledged.
Contributions to Political Parties
Between 2014 and 2018, Chau gave close to 4 million to Australia's two leading political parties.
FBI Inquiry into Bribery Allegations and Subsequent Legal Actions
Chau was implicated in an FBI investigation concerning bribery involving former United Nations General Assembly president John Ashe. In 2013, the FBI claimed that Sheri Yan, an Australian-Chinese individual suspected by ASIO of engaging in Chinese intelligence operations, utilized A$200,000 of Chau’s funds to bribe Ashe to attend a conference held at Chau’s Imperial Springs resort in China. Yan admitted guilt and served a prison term of 20 months. Although Chau was never formally accused or charged with any misconduct, leaked U.S. diplomatic cables have documented his connections with the CCP's United Front Work Department dating back to at least 2007.
In response to media reports suggesting his involvement in bribery, Chau initiated legal proceedings in 2016 against Nationwide News Pty Ltd and News Life Media Pty Ltd. The dispute was resolved through a settlement involving a payment of A$65,000 and an official apology from the publishers.
In May 2018, Andrew Hastie, then Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, invoked parliamentary privilege to describe Chau as an unindicted co-conspirator in the bribery scandal following consultations with intelligence officials from Australia and the United States.
Chau successfully pursued defamation claims against Fairfax Media in February 2019 over a 2015 article published in The Sydney Morning Herald concerning the matter. Fairfax lodged an appeal which was dismissed by the Federal Court in March 2020. Chau was awarded A$280,000 in damages, which he subsequently donated to several Australian charities.
Claims of Influence on Australian Politics and Related Litigation
An investigative report jointly produced by Four Corners and Fairfax Media disclosed that ASIO had briefed Chau regarding Chinese government efforts to exert influence within Australian political circles. Chau refuted accusations that he acted as an agent of Chinese soft power, asserting that successive Australian governments had engaged him to advance Australian interests in China, including advocating for a substantial LNG agreement valued at 150 billion in 2001. He filed a defamation suit over this report, and in February 2021 the Federal Court ruled in his favor, awarding $590,000 in damages while imposing restrictions on the ABC from republishing specific segments of the Four Corners episode.
Allegations of foreign election meddling
In February 2022, Senator Kimberley Kitching invoked parliamentary privilege to allege that Chau was involved in a purported Chinese scheme aimed at influencing Australian elections by placing politicians favorable to the Chinese Communist Party. Chau responded with a written statement refuting these accusations.