The South China Morning Post highlights that in Hong Kong, it is a common practice among affluent families to present extravagant gifts, such as mansions and large sums of cash, to encourage childbearing among their kin.
Here are four daughters-in-law of Hong Kong tycoons who received opulent gifts worth millions for giving birth.
1. Hong Kong actress Cathy Chui
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Hong Kong’s propert magnate Lee Shau Kee (far R), his son Martin Lee (far L), and his daughter-in-law Cathy Chui. Photo from Chui’s Instagram |
In 2015, upon the birth of her fourth child with businessman Martin Lee, Chui received a HK$50 million education fund, land worth HK$1.82 billion, a HK$110 million luxury yacht, and a mansion from her father-in-law Lee Shau Kee, according to The Standard.
Oriental Daily News also noted that Chui received red packets containing lucky money for each child she had from her father-in-law. These generous gifts have earned Chui the nickname “hundred-billion daughter-in-law” among local media.
Now 43, Chui is renowned for her roles in the 2000 films “Time and Tide” and “When a Man Loves a Woman,” as well as the 2001 film “The Saving Hands.” She married Martin Lee, who is now 54, in 2006.
As of February, Forbes listed her father-in-law Lee Shau Kee as Hong Kong’s second-richest man with a net worth of US$29.2 billion. According to AFP, the billionaire passed away at the age of 97 on March 17, as announced in a press release by his company Henderson Land Development.
2. Chinese diver Guo Jingjing
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Chinese Olympic diving champion Guo Jingjing (L) and her husband Kenneth Fok pose at the Awards Presentation Ceremony of the Samsung 2017 Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards in Hong Kong, March 27, 2018. Photo by AFP |
Following the birth of their third child in 2019, 44-year-old Guo and her husband Kenneth Fok, now 46, were gifted a HK$160 million three-story mansion in the exclusive Repulse Bay area of Hong Kong by Kenneth’s father, business magnate Timothy Fok, according to HK01.
Guo is celebrated as a four-time Olympic gold medalist. Her husband Kenneth Fok serves as vice president of the Fok Ying Tung Group, which operates in diverse sectors including real estate, infrastructure investments, finance, transportation, cargo terminals, hotels, resorts, and tourism. He is also the vice president of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong.
Timothy Fok, 79, is the President of the Hong Kong Football Association and represents the Sports, Performing Arts, Culture, and Publication functional constituency in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.
3. Chinese supermodel Ming Xi
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Chinese supermodel Ming Xi (R) and her husband Mario Ho, son of casino tycoon Stanley Ho. Photo from Ming Xi’s Instagram |
Ming Xi and her husband Mario Ho were presented with a HK$500 million luxury home in Hong Kong’s prestigious Island View estate following the birth of their first child in 2020, who also represents casino tycoon Stanley Ho’s first male grandchild. The generous gift came from Mario’s mother Leong On Kei, whose net worth was estimated at US$2.4 billion by Forbes in 2024.
In 2019, Mario Ho shared on social media his mother’s hope for a grandson, stating that he would receive 100 million yuan (US$13.8 million) for fulfilling this wish, according to The Straits Times. Additionally, reports suggest Ming Xi received 500 million yuan as a wedding gift when she married in 2019.
Born Xi Mengyao, the 36-year-old Ming Xi initiated her modeling career in 2009 after triumphing in a television contest. She has since collaborated with leading fashion houses, including Victoria’s Secret and Givenchy.
Her spouse Mario Ho, 30, earned a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
His father Stanley Ho, born into a prominent Hong Kong family in 1921, established and managed SJM Holdings, which includes 19 casinos in Macau, such as the Grand Lisboa.
Throughout his life, Stanley Ho was a pivotal figure in Macau’s political, economic, cultural, and philanthropic spheres. His extensive business interests covered real estate, transportation, hotels, tourism, and gaming.
The tycoon, who had four wives and 17 children, passed away in 2020. A Bloomberg report in 2024 assessed his family’s net worth at US$13 billion.
4. Taiwanese actress Bea Hayden
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Taiwanese actress Bea Hayden (L) and her husband Jacky Heung. Photo from Heung’s Instagram |
Bea Hayden, aged 41, and her husband, Hong Kong actor Jacky Heung, also 41, were gifted a HK$170 million mansion in Taipei’s prestigious Xinyi District by Heung’s mother Tiffany Chen to celebrate the birth of their first daughter in 2020. The expansive property, covering nearly 5,000 square feet (464.5 square meters), boasts luxury features including a swimming pool and a large balcony.
Born Kuo Hsin Yen, Bea Hayden gained fame for her roles in the “Tiny Times” film series. She and Jacky Heung tied the knot in 2019.
Jacky Heung is the eldest son of Tiffany Chen and Charles Heung, a towering figure in Hong Kong cinema who is revered as one of Hong Kong’s most successful film producers, having launched the careers of luminaries such as Stephen Chow, Chow Yun-fat, Johnnie To, Jet Li, and Andy Lau.
As of 2022, 77-year-old Charles Heung’s net worth was estimated at US$1.2 billion.
