The group comprises the families of Li Ka Shing, Lee Shau Kee, Kwok Tak Seng and Cheng Yu Tung, who built their fortunes from modest beginnings before rising to prominence in real estate during the 20th century.
Their business empires have since been handed down to their heirs to manage, with at least one member from each family named among the top five.
1. Li Ka Shing
Li Ka-shing (R), chairman of Hutchison Whampoa and his son Victor Li, deputy chairman, laugh during a press conference for the company’s 2009 annual results announcement in Hong Kong on March 30, 2010. Photo by AFP |
Li Ka Shing, 97, remained Hong Kong’s richest person this year after his net worth rose by $7.8 billion, the largest gain by value on the list, to $45.1 billion as of Jan. 23, 2026, according to Forbes.
Li left school at a young age to start a plastics business before amassing a fortune through real estate that has made him the city’s richest man for decades and one of Asia’s most influential entrepreneurs.
He holds stakes in CK Hutchison, whose assets span ports, infrastructure and mobile-phone networks, as well as CK Asset, which manages his property holdings.
He retired from both firms in 2018, handing control of the family empire to his eldest son, Victor Li Tzar Kuoi.
Li is the only surviving tycoon among the original founders of the four renowned families.
2. Peter and Martin Lee and family
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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 |
Brothers Peter Lee Ka Kit and Martin Lee Ka Shing, co-chairmen of property developer Henderson Land Development, placed second with a combined net worth of $34.9 billion.
They inherited their fortune from their father, Lee Shau Kee, who died last March at age 97 and also ranked as the city’s second-richest man in the 2025 list.
Born in 1928 in China’s Guangdong province, the late Lee moved to Hong Kong in his twenties to build his career. He began in gold and foreign currency trading before turning to real estate, co-founding Sun Hung Kai Properties and later establishing Henderson, both among the “big four” developers.
Peter, 62, and Martin, 55, assumed control of Henderson years before their father’s passing in a notably smooth and uneventful succession that the family had spent decades preparing for.
3. Henry Cheng and family
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Henry Cheng Kar-shun, chairman of New World Development, NWS Holdings and Taifook Securities, speaks during a press conference for New World Group in Hong Kong, China, Feb. 28, 2011. Photo by Imaginechina via AFP |
Henry Cheng, 79, is the chairman of his family’s flagship companies, New World Development—one of the “big four” developers—and Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group.
The family’s fortune traces back to Cheng Yu Tung, who started the family business as a small gold shop in the 1940s before moving into real estate in the 1970s, according to Business Insider.
Henry, his eldest son, inherited the business after the founding patriarch died in 2016.
New World has grappled with debt in recent years, during which Adrian Cheng, Henry’s son and once heir apparent, stepped down as its CEO.
Despite these challenges, Henry’s family fortune grew by $6.6 billion last year to $26.1 billion, driven largely by a surge in Chow Tai Fook shares as gold prices climbed.
4. Lee siblings
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Sammy Lee, chairman of Lee Kung Kee Group. Photo from the company’s website |
The five Lee siblings, namely Charlie, Sammy, Eddy, David and Elizabeth, are the children of the late Lee Man Tat, the third-generation head of Lee Kum Kee Group—maker of the well-known oyster sauce. Their net worth is estimated at $17.6 billion.
Sammy took over as the firm’s executive chairman in 2022 following his father’s death in 2021, and now oversees the group’s operations spanning sauces, healthcare, property and venture capital.
Lee Kum Kee was established in 1888 by Sammy’s great-grandfather, Lee Kum Sheung, who invented oyster sauce by accident after overcooking a pot of soup and, inspired by its flavor and aroma, started selling it as a condiment.
The group also includes LKK Health, which produces and distributes herbal supplements under the Infinitus brand. Additionally, the family has at least seven properties located in London, Hong Kong and mainland China, Bloomberg reported.
5. Kwong Siu Hing
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Kwong Siu-hing (center), shareholder of Sun Hung Kai Properties. Photo via Wikipedia/WiNG |
Kwong Siu Hing, 95, is a central figure of the Kwok family, which controls Sun Hung Kai Properties, another of the “big four” developers. She is the widow of Kwok Tak Seng, a co-founder of the company, whom she married in 1947 at the age of 20, according to Tatler Asia.
The couple had three sons, Walter, Thomas and Raymond Kwok, all of whom have been involved in managing the family business. The trio and their respective families were also named later on Forbes‘ Hong Kong rich list.
Kwong served as chairman of the company from 2008 after her eldest son Walter was removed from his position following a dispute with his brothers. She resigned in 2011 but remains among the firm’s largest shareholders.
With a net worth of $17.5 billion, she is also one of the richest women in Asia.
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