Real estate tycoon Cecil Chao is the chairman of Cheuk Nang Holdings. The playboy caused a furor in 2012, when he offered a $500 million dowry to any man able to win over his daughter Gigi—after she married her long-term girlfriend in a civil union. The 77-year-old tells Andrea Lo why he withdrew the bounty, and addresses longstanding rumors that he has slept with 10,000 women.
By Andrea Lo | Aug 07, 2014
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Cecil Chao. Photo: South Ho
I was born in Shanghai. We came here in 1948, when the communists arrived. The family thought we were coming to Hong Kong for a short while, but we never moved back.
I’ve always liked drawing and design. You can choose to be a painter, but the chances of becoming a Van Gogh or Picasso aren’t so great.
After I graduated from university in England, I worked in the government’s architectural office.
There was an architectural competition. I won the prize, and set up my own practice.
I became an architect. I negotiated with developers, saying that instead of paying me, they should give me a couple of units instead. That’s how I started in the [property] business.
When people were working eight hours, I was working 13 to 14 hours. By my mid-30s, I had made a lot of money. I was very good-looking, and my family was well-established.
Pretty girls, movie stars—always came to me. People call me the “diamond bachelor.”
I have this playboy image, but I’m also a successful businessman.
I attract more attention in the entertainment columns than the business ones.
I don’t mind. I don’t work for other people and I’m not in government. These things don’t give me any serious disadvantages.
Of course I know more than 10,000 women. I have been alive a long time. They say that I have brought that many to bed: that I have no calculation of.
I decided not to marry anybody. I would prefer to have a jungle, instead of one tree.
Feng shui masters tell you how good you are. I’m already good: I don’t need them to praise me.
I still don’t know if Gigi is married and whether or not it was legal. I was trying to marry her off, as you know—these things became big news. But thousands of applicants couldn’t win her heart. I give up.
As a father, I want to give her the best she can have.
I think Gigi goes both ways. She used to have lots of boyfriends. I’ve seen so many women who like me, but they also like other women.
Gigi has her own life. She can get married and have kids, but she decided that she doesn’t want to. For the time being, anyway.
We have an excellent relationship. We work well together. I will very soon declare that she will be the one to succeed my chairmanship.
I can certainly retire, but I enjoy working. So why should I?
For youngsters, my advice is: you can always make money, as long as you work hard and have a goal.
[We have] a welfare culture. The government must give them this and that. We never used to do that. You struggled for yourself.
I’m strongly against Occupy Central. It’s rubbish.
When 1997 came, I thought it was the end of the world. I bought a big yacht and a helicopter, thinking that one day the communists would come, and I would have to fly out to escape.
We have seen many times in my lifetime that everything collapses—and then it eventually comes back up again.
When things are collapsing, it is the best opportunity to make money.
When I was young, I believed in becoming rich and famous. Things have changed now.
On the streets, people say to me, “Mr. Chao, we really admire you. You are an icon.” I want to keep that kind of image.
I would prefer not to be as high-profile as I used to be. Not to be low-profile— but to maintain a medium sort of profile.
The Hong Kong public doesn’t like rich people as much as they used to.
I used to be able to fly the helicopter anywhere. But now its usage is very limited. The neighbors write to the SCMP complaining about it. I have to go to Tai Tam to take a helicopter to get to my yacht.
I’m thinking of buying a new yacht, so my helicopter can be used between the two.
I don’t deny that the pretty girls keep me young. Dates, dinners and being with them make me happy.
To stay young, you exercise. I play basketball once or twice a week. On weekends, I go on the yacht to waterski.
When you become super rich, you also start to have more problems.
You have to convince yourself money is not everything. I don’t care if I have another billion more or a billion less.
Choose between women or money? No money, no women.
http://m.hk-magazine.com/city-living/article/cecil-chao
