Lee Man Tat
Lee Man Tat | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1929 Macau |
| Died | 2021-07-26 |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Chairman of Lee Kum Kee |
| Notable work | Expansion of Lee Kum Kee into international markets, founder of LKK Health Products |
Lee Man Tat BBS (1929 – 26 July 2021) was a billionaire from Hong Kong and served as the chairman of the family-operated Chinese sauce and condiment enterprise Lee Kum Kee.
Biography
Lee was born in Macau in 1930 as the firstborn son of Lee Siu-nam and the grandson of Lee Kum-sheung, the creator of oyster sauce and founder of Lee Kum Kee in 1888. At age 15, he left formal education to join the family business in China, where he worked until 1949. Afterwards, he returned to Macau before becoming involved with Lee Kum Kee’s operations in Hong Kong.
In 1972, supported by his father, Lee acquired control of the company by purchasing his uncles' shares. He then focused on expanding Lee Kum Kee’s reach into North American markets, particularly targeting Chinese communities in San Francisco, Vancouver, New York, and along the US eastern seaboard. Following a disagreement in 1986, he bought out his younger brother’s 40% ownership for HK$80 million.
Together with his son Sammy, Lee diversified into the health supplement sector in 1992 by establishing LKK Health Products. The company opened manufacturing plants in China during the mid-1990s, which has since become its largest market. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his net worth was estimated at US$17.9 billion. The family also ventured into real estate investments, notably acquiring London's Walkie-Talkie building for £1.3 billion in 2017 through LKK Health Products.
Lee married Choi May Ling in 1954, and they had five children who all became involved with the family business. He was honored with the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2018 and died on 26 July 2021.