Lu Peilin

Lui Lai Kwan (English: Dr. Yvonne Lui Lai Kwan, born), renamed in 2019 as Dr. Yvonne Lui Pui Lam, holds a PhD in Chemistry from King’s College London, UK. Outside of her family life and leisure, she is also heavily involved in philanthropy and social welfare work. In addition to her passion for art collection, she has also been actively involved in the development of the arts in recent years. In 2013, she was elected a member of the 12th Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. The same year, she founded the Yvonne Lui Foundation, later renamed the Lui Pui Lam Foundation.

Among her many honorary roles, education and social welfare are major areas of focus, such as Honorary Trustee of Peking University, Board Member of the University of International Business and Economics in China, Honorary Chairperson of the Hong Kong United Youth Association, and Honorary President of the Hong Kong Federation of Women.

Life

Lui Lai Kwan studied both her undergraduate and doctoral degrees at King’s College London.

In 2016, her relationship with Richard Liu ended, and Liu publicly announced their separation in 2014.

Business & Art Collection

During her more than ten years of study in the UK, Lui developed a deep understanding and appreciation of the British Empire beyond academics. In early 2010, *The Times* of London revealed that Richard Liu had spent £33 million on a mansion in Eaton Square, one of the most prestigious addresses in the world, attracting media attention in the UK. *The Financial Times* published a feature praising the investor’s eye for rare real estate. The unique heritage of Eaton Square was described as irreplaceable regardless of the global economic climate.

Her passion for art, influenced by her British education, aligned with Liu’s. In 2006, she made headlines representing Liu when they won a record-breaking auction of Andy Warhol’s *Mao Zedong* silk-screen portrait for HK$135 million. Lui later expressed her dream of building a museum. Richard Liu also praised emerging artists such as Damien Hirst and Gerhard Richter, whose international rise has been partly credited to London’s art scene.

Among various business headlines involving Lui, the most notable was her investment in AIA Group Limited’s IPO. In late October 2010, she subscribed to HK$5.7 billion worth of shares under her own name, earning a paper profit of HK$90 million on the first day of trading.

Richard Liu later claimed to have given her HK$2 billion worth of assets over the years.

Philanthropy and Education

Despite her fame, Lui keeps a low public profile and rarely attends social events. In 2007, she donated 5 million RMB to Hebei to build rural health clinics, and during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, she raised over HK$30 million in aid.

In 2008, she served as Executive Vice Chair of the Hong Kong Youth Olympic Activities Committee and chaired the “Fitness for All” Olympic campaign.

She also supports the Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition as Vice Chair of its Organizing Committee.

As Honorary Board Member of Peking University and UIBE, Lui promotes industry-academia cooperation and talent development.

In 2013, she was appointed to the Beijing CPPCC Committee. Her appointment surprised the political scene due to her low public profile.

Conservation and Sustainability

Lui has voiced concerns about environmental protection and global sustainability, including writing op-eds on climate change. In 2017, she co-launched the *Lui-Walton Innovators Fellowship* with Rob Walton and Conservation International. Collaborators include Christiana Figueres, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, and Anote Tong. She is now a board member of Conservation International.

In recent years, she has promoted physical wellness through running and shared her experiences via her foundation's website.