Casino tycoon Stanley Ho’s Harvard alumnus son-in-law pursues academia over wife’s family business

According to information Xin listed on his LinkedIn profile, he enrolled in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program at Yale University after graduating from Harvard University.

Since his marriage to Sabrina in 2019, Xin has maintained a low profile and rarely appears in public, according to Znewsciting Swamp. His appearances have largely been limited to photos shared by his wife, including images from her PhD graduation at New York University in 2024 and from an event the couple attended together that same year.

Xin, 28, was born in Heilongjiang, China’s northernmost province. He gained recognition after being admitted to Harvard in 2016 with an SAT score of 2,260 out of 2,400, earning him the nickname “the light of Harbin,” as reported by the South China Morning Post.

He and Sabrina, 36, held their engagement ceremony in March 2019 and welcomed their first daughter two months later. The couple had initially planned to hold their wedding ceremony at the British Museum, a venue Sabrina had long supported, in 2021, but the plan was postponed, according to The Straits Times.

Sabrina is the daughter of Stanley and his fourth wife Angela Leong. She currently serves as a council member of the Hong Kong Art School, according to the organization’s website.

Not joining their wives’ family business is common among Stanley’s sons-in-law. Actor Shawn Dou, who married the tycoon’s daughter Laurinda Ho in 2023, and actor Conroy Chan, who married the tycoon’s daughter Josie Ho in 2003, have similarly remained outside the family’s business operations, focusing instead on their respective careers in arts.

By contrast, supermodel Ming Xi, who married Stanley’s son Mario Ho in 2019, has frequently been seen assisting with family business activities.

Stanley was born in 1921 in Hong Kong into a prominent family. He founded and chaired SJM Holdings, which operates 19 casinos in Macau, including the Grand Lisboa.

He also served in various political capacities and was actively involved in Macau’s economic, cultural, and philanthropic scenes, making substantial contributions to its growth. Over the years, as he built his career and reputation, he engaged in multiple industries including real estate, transportation, hotels, tourism, and gaming.

The tycoon passed away in 2020, survived by four wives and 17 children, whose disputes over his inheritance became loud and public.