Lim Por-yen
Lim Por-yen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Chaoyang, Shantou |
| Died | February 18, 2005 (aged 90) Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
| Known for | Founder of Lai Sun Group, largest shareholder of Asia Television |
Lim Por-yen (21 December 1914 – 18 February 2005) was a prominent industrialist from Hong Kong and the founder of the Lai Sun Group. His family held the largest shareholding in Asia Television.
Biography
Lim was born in Chaoyang, Shantou in 1914 and spent his early years between Shantou and Hong Kong. Coming from a banking family, he relocated to Hong Kong in 1931. In 1935, he started his professional journey as an apprentice at Jiacheng Bank in Shantou. By 1937, he returned to Hong Kong and worked as a cold call salesman. Following the conclusion of World War II in 1945, Lim and his wife established Sing Fook Knitting Factory located in Sham Shui Po, concentrating on export business. During the 1950s, he gained the moniker "African King" due to his export of cost-effective military uniforms to African countries.
In 1947, Lim founded Lai Sun Garment, which subsequently became publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. He broadened his business interests significantly by entering the real estate sector in 1987 through the creation of Lai Sun Development.
Public service and philanthropy
Lim contributed more than ¥700 million to various charitable initiatives throughout China, with over half of these donations directed towards Shantou. His commitment to education in Hong Kong was demonstrated by founding multiple schools and supporting the University of Hong Kong's SARS Fund. Additionally, he played a key role in establishing the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole and was honored with an honorary fellowship from HKU in 2003 for his sustained contributions. In 2004, he funded an Eye Genetics Research Center at CUHK.
He held the position of Hong Kong Affairs Adviser to Beijing and was involved in both the Preparatory and Selection Committees for the SAR. Lim was also among the founding members of the Better Hong Kong Foundation.
Corruption conviction
Lim became involved in what was then Taiwan’s most significant bribery case. The Bureau of Investigation in Taiwan arrested him on allegations that he offered NT$200 million in bribes to officials within the Taipei County Land Administration Bureau, including its former director.
He owned land originally zoned for agricultural and industrial purposes, which officials later reclassified for use by National Taipei University. This rezoning enabled him to resell the property to Taipei County for over NT$890 million (US$28.6 million), roughly NT$300 million above its market value. Accusations surfaced that bribes were used to facilitate this rezoning process.
In 1999, Lim was convicted on charges of bribery and money laundering connected to these transactions. His prison term of 38 months was shortened by one year. At the time of his passing, his appeal remained unresolved.
Personal
At the time of his death, Lim was still legally married to his first wife, Lai Yuen-Fong. His second wife, U Po-chu, who had five decades of experience in the garment sector, held a non-executive director role at Lai Sun Garment.
Death
Lim passed away on 18 February 2005 at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam due to a lung infection; he was in his nineties.