Hong Kong’s second-richest billionaire Lee Shau Kee’s 3 daughters live quiet lives in contrast to high-profile sons

Lee, who passed away on Monday, had two sons and three daughters, namely Lee Pui Man, Lee Pui Ling, and Lee Pui Yee, with his ex-wife, Lau Wai Kuen, according to Sohu.

Chinese media reported that the property tycoon tended to favor his sons over his daughters. As a result, despite possessing good business acumen, Pui Man, Lee’s eldest daughter, was not viewed as highly as her brothers.

Lee Shau Kee, center, chairman of Henderson Land Development Co., and his sons Peter Lee Ka Kit, right, and Martin Lee Ka Shing, left, attend the 44th Annual General Meeting of Henderson Land Development Company Limited in Hong Kong, China, 28 May 2019. Photo by Reuters

After graduating from the University of London in the U.K., Pui Man returned to work at the family’s business, Henderson Land Development. She currently serves as the senior general manager of its portfolio leasing department.

Pui Man married Li Ning, the grandson of Li Ming–the founder of Hong Kong’s Chekiang First Bank. They have three daughters and one son.

Her husband and eldest daughter, Li Keng Yan, both work at Henderson, with the former holding a key position and the latter taking on a similar role to her mother. Keng Yan is responsible for the HQUEEN'S commercial building project in Hong Kong’s Central District.

Lee’s second daughter, Pui Ling, is not involved in the family business. She is married to Cheng Kai Man, chairman of a company that operates various hotel and shopping mall projects. She is not known to have any children.

There is even less publicly available information about the late tycoon’s youngest daughter, Pui Yee. She was said to have once served as sales department deputy general manager at the family firm.

Lee once said that his daughters each have different personalities, with their focus ranging from self-cultivation to maintaining a stable and enjoyable life.

He mentioned that they might have been influenced by their mother, who moved to Vancouver, Canada, after their divorce in 1985 and reportedly lives a secluded life in a Buddhist temple.

Lee's two sons, Peter and Martin, are heirs to his business empire. They serve as Henderson's co-chairmen and co-managing directors. Peter is unmarried but chose surrogacy to have triplet sons in 2010, according to Dimsum Daily.

His younger brother, Martin, married former actress Cathy Chui and has four children.

Born in 1928 in Guangdong, China, Lee moved to Hong Kong in his early twenties to start his career. He established a remarkable legacy in Hong Kong’s real estate industry and consistently ranked among the wealthiest individuals in the city and Asia during the 1990s.

According to Forbes' February rankings, Lee was the second-richest person in Hong Kong. His net worth was estimated at US$30 billion before his death.