Casino magnate Alvin Chau’s wife prospers following husband’s incarceration

Heidi Chan, wife of Macanese casino magnate Alvin Chau. Photo from Chan's Facebook

According to Sinchew, sources indicate that Chan, 44, is currently pursuing new business opportunities with Pak Hou Chau, her husband’s son from his first marriage to Yang Su-mei. Her eldest daughter with Chau, who recently completed her university studies abroad, has returned to assist her mother and stepbrother in their business ventures.

Moreover, Chan has completed a yoga training course and recently earned a basic yoga instructor certification.

Her personal social media accounts feature many photos of her engaging with her husband’s family and her stepchild, showing her life regaining stability despite her husband’s imprisonment.

Numerous social media users have praised Chan as a loyal woman who stood by her family during her husband’s legal troubles. She is also lauded as a devoted mother and daughter-in-law, cherished by her husband’s relatives.

Since her husband’s arrest, Chan has kept a low profile, occasionally taking her in-laws to temples to seek good fortune and has restricted her international travel, even though her family had a long-standing tradition of extravagant trips. Some sources suggest she is managing finances and cultivating connections to possibly lessen her husband’s prison sentence.

Chau, 50, is the founder and CEO of Suncity, previously the largest casino junket operator in Macau, as reported by AP.

In November 2021, Macao police arrested Chau and other suspects for their involvement in illegal gambling operations and money laundering, and the case was handed over to prosecutors, as per the Global Times.

A Macau court convicted him in January 2023 of fraud, leading a criminal organization, and managing illegal gambling.

He received a sentence of 18 years and is now incarcerated in Coloane Prison, Macau.

Chau is also known for his affair with Malaysian-American model-actress Mandy Lieu, 39, with whom he has four children. Following their separation in 2019, Lieu moved to the U.K. with their children, and Chau reportedly paid her HK$300 million (US$38.4 million) as a "break-up fee," according to The Straits Times.