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Stanley Ho

From Alfawiki
Stanley Ho
Born
Stanley Ho Hung-sun

(1921-11-25) 25 November 1921 (age 104)
Hong Kong
Died26 May 2020(2020-05-26) (aged 98)
Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital
Other namesGodfather, King of Gambling
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, casino operator
Years active1943–2018
Known forFounder and chairman of SJM Holdings; founder and chairman of Shun Tak Holdings

Stanley Ho Hung-sun (; 25 November 1921–26 May 2020) was a billionaire entrepreneur from Hong Kong and Macau. He established and led SJM Holdings, the proprietor of nineteen casinos in Macau, including the prominent Grand Lisboa.

Referred to as the Godfather and King of Gambling, Ho maintained a government-issued monopoly over Macau’s gambling sector for four decades. His considerable wealth was apportioned among his offspring: daughter Pansy Ho ($5.3 billion), who owns MGM Macau; fourth spouse Angela Leong ($4.1 billion), serving as managing director of SJM Holdings; and son Lawrence Ho ($2.6 billion), proprietor of City of Dreams.

Ho was also the founder and chairman of Shun Tak Holdings, overseeing a broad portfolio spanning entertainment, tourism, shipping, real estate, banking, and aviation. His companies collectively provide employment to approximately one-quarter of Macau’s labor force. Beyond Hong Kong and Macau, his investments extended into mainland China, Portugal, North Korea (where he operated a casino), Vietnam, the Philippines, Mozambique, Indonesia, and East Timor.

His perspectives on Hong Kong’s property market and commercial development had a notable impact on industry trends. Following a stroke in 2009 and an extended period of recuperation, Ho began delegating control of his business empire to his wives and children by late 2010. He died on 26 May 2020 at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.

Early life

Ho was born in Hong Kong under British colonial administration, possessing Chinese, Dutch-Jewish, and English heritage. His lineage traces back to great-grandfather Charles Henry Maurice Bosman (1839–1892), who was of Dutch Jewish descent, and Bosman’s Chinese partner Sze Tai (施娣), a native of Bao'an. His grandfather was Ho Fook (何福), sibling to prominent merchant Sir Robert Ho Tung. Stanley Ho was the ninth child among thirteen siblings born to Ho Sai-kwong (何世光).

Education

Ho attended Queen's College, Hong Kong, initially placed in the lowest academic stream due to underperformance. Nevertheless, he later secured a scholarship to the University of Hong Kong, becoming the first student from his initial class ranking to achieve this distinction. His education was interrupted in 1942 by the onset of World War II. Following the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, he relocated to Macau.

Career

Ho’s early career involved employment at a Japanese-owned import-export company in Macau, where he amassed his initial wealth by smuggling luxury items across the Chinese border during World War II. In 1943, he launched both a kerosene enterprise and a construction firm.

Together with partners such as Hong Kong magnate Henry Fok, Macau gambler Yip Hon, and brother-in-law Teddy Yip, Ho submitted a bid for Macau's exclusive gaming license in 1961. Their winning offer totaled US$410,000—of which US$51,000 came from Henry Fok—outbidding established casino families like the Fu family. That year, the company was renamed Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau, S.A.R.L. (STDM).

In late 1962, Ho inaugurated the Estoril Hotel, recognized as Macau’s first upscale casino resort. By 1970, he opened the flagship Lisboa Casino Hotel and founded Shun Tak Holdings Ltd., which became publicly traded on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. Through its subsidiary TurboJET, Shun Tak operates one of the largest fleets globally of high-speed jetfoil vessels ferrying passengers between Hong Kong and Macau.

During the 1980s, Ho introduced subcontracting private gambling rooms to independent agents—a practice that evolved into today’s VIP junket system. This approach mitigated issues related to Triad scalping activities while granting agents direct casino access through commission arrangements.

Ho broadened his investments within Macau; after STDM acquired full ownership of the Macau Jockey Club in 1989, he assumed its chairmanship and CEO position. His international expansion included opening a casino in Pyongyang, North Korea, in 1995.

In 1998, Ho became the first living Macanese resident honored with a street named after him and launched SLOT—the first football and basketball lottery in Asia.

Between 1999 and 2002, Canadian authorities cited connections between Ho and the Kung Lok Triad. Comparable allegations emerged from reports by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement concerning his associations with American casino operator MGM Mirage.

Business

  • Chairman Emeritus (without directorship), Shun Tak Holdings Limited (信德集團)
  • Chairman, Seng Heng Bank Limited
  • Director, Shun Tak Shipping Company, Limited
  • Chairman, iAsia Technology Limited (亞洲網上交易科技有限公司)
  • Chairman, Chinese Recreation Club in Hong Kong (CRC)
  • Founder of Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macau, SARL (STDM)
  • Chairman of SJM Holdings Limited (澳門博彩控股有限公司) until stepping down in April 2018
  • Investor in venture capital and global real estate sectors, with notable investments in commercial properties located in Singapore and London

Community

Politics

Following Portugal's 1987 agreement to transfer Macau to China by 1999, Ho was actively involved as a member of the joint advisory committee and served on the Standing Committee of the 9th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

His political roles also included:

Family

Ho fathered 17 children with four women, whom he acknowledged as his wives. Polygamy remained legal in Hong Kong until 1971.

In 1942, he wed Clementina Ângela Leitão from a distinguished Portuguese family in Macau. Together they had four children. After a 1973 car accident caused partial memory impairment for Leitão, their son Robert and daughter-in-law tragically died in a separate accident in 1981. Clementina passed away in 2004.

During the late 1950s, Ho entered into a legally recognized relationship with Lucina Azul Jean Ying née Laam King-ying (藍瓊纓). They had five children, among them Daisy Ho, chairwoman of SJM; Pansy Ho, who owns half of MGM Macau; Lawrence Ho, CEO of Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd; and Josie Ho, an actress and singer.

In 1985, Ho began a relationship with Ina Chan; they have three children together. Chan initially served as a nurse to Clementina Leitão.

Ho met Angela Leong On-kei, his dance instructor, in 1988. They have four children. Leong currently serves as a member of Macau's Legislative Assembly.

Personal life

Ho had a keen interest in dancing, enjoying styles such as tango, cha-cha-cha, and waltz. He often performed at televised charity events and supported numerous dance festivals across Hong Kong and Macau—including the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Macau Arts Festival—helping to advance dance as an art form. He invited world-renowned companies like the National Ballet of China to perform locally. Additionally, he was a patron of organizations including the Hong Kong Ballet and International Dance Teachers Association and held Fellowship status with the Royal Academy of Dance. Among his prized racehorses was Viva Pataca—named after Macau’s currency—which secured victories in several major Hong Kong races during 2006 and 2007.

In July 2009, Ho experienced a fall at home that necessitated brain surgery. He remained hospitalized for seven months at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital followed by care at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital. During this period, he made only one public appearance on 20 December 2009 to greet Chinese President Hu Jintao during Macau's tenth anniversary celebrating its return to Chinese sovereignty. Ho was discharged on 6 March 2010 and subsequently relied on a wheelchair for mobility.

Qing artifacts

In 2003, Ho contributed a bronze boar's head from the Qing dynasty to China's Poly Art Museum, a government institution dedicated to safeguarding Chinese historical treasures. This boar's head belonged to a collection seized from the imperial Summer Palace in Beijing during its destruction by French and British troops in 1860. On 21 September 2007, Ho gifted a bronze horse's head from the same Qing period—also originally taken from the Old Summer Palace—to the Chinese authorities. It was reported that he acquired this piece from a Taiwanese entrepreneur for US$8.84 million.

Lanceford conflict

A family dispute over control of Stanley Ho's private holding company, Lanceford, emerged in January 2011 involving his wives and children. On 27 December, Lanceford issued 9,998 new shares—representing 99.98% of the expanded share capital—to two entities registered in the British Virgin Islands: Action Winner Holdings Ltd, fully owned by his third wife Ina (50.55%), and Ranillo Investments Ltd, held equally by Laam’s five offspring (49.45%). The share issuance document bore the signature of Laam’s daughter Daisy.

Ho filed legal action in the High Court against 11 parties, including his second and third spouses as well as children Pansy and Lawrence Ho, accusing them of unlawfully modifying the shareholding arrangement. The lawsuit aimed to block these parties from selling or transferring shares. Ho asserted that his intention was to distribute assets fairly among his families, but the actions of the company directors undermined this objective.

Inconsistent remarks from Ho and other family members created uncertainty regarding the dispute’s progress. Represented by lawyer Gordon Oldham—who was reportedly dismissed and reinstated within days—Ho claimed he had been coerced into making public declarations and signing legal documents without full comprehension.

Honours

Stanley Ho was recognized with numerous accolades for his business achievements and community service. In 1984, he received an honorary doctorate in social sciences from the University of Macau. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1990 for his contributions to Hong Kong society. Portugal conferred upon him its highest civilian award, the Grã-Cruz da Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique, in 1995.

In 1998, Macau named Dr. Stanley Ho Avenue after him—the first street there to honor a living Chinese individual. He was bestowed Macau’s Golden Lotus Medal of Honour in 2001 and elevated to receive the Grand Lotus Medal of Honour in 2007. Hong Kong recognized him with the Gold Bauhinia Star in 2003.

The Portuguese city of Cascais honored him in 2008 with a Medal for Business Entrepreneurialism and renamed a street near Estoril Casino as Avenida Stanley Ho—the first road in Portugal named after a living Chinese citizen. At the 2009 G2E Asia conference, Macau SAR Chief Executive Edmund Ho presented him with the Visionary Award. In November 2010, Hong Kong awarded him its highest accolade, the Grand Bauhinia Medal.

Death

Following a stroke in 2009, Ho experienced declining health that required extended hospitalization. Reports on 25 May 2020 indicated he was critically ill; he passed away at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital on 26 May 2020 at age 98.

In popular culture

See also

External links

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