Page 27 - Sphere No.18 (Feb 2007)

SPHERE 25
levels after dinner. The tranquillity of the surroundings
allowed him to focus his mind clearly. One night, he
started thinking about the real meaning of his life for
the first time. When the accumulation of wealth ceased
to be the most important thing in his life, what was his
new goal? The answer was philanthropy, which gave
new meaning to his accumulation of wealth.
The powers of “Superman”
The years between 12 and 16 years oldwere packedwith
life experiences. He said, “I bade farewell to my child-
hood and entered the real world. My tragic experienc-
es had made me grow up quickly. Within a few short
years, I had decided on a direction for my life.” The
series of early tragedies had given him a fierce sense of
independence and ambition. He learned how to over-
come dire circumstances and draw lessons from them.
From the hardships he saw opportunities to learn and
gather the strength he would need to drive his success.
The harsh realities of life had honed a unique system
of self-management, an amazing capacity for self-dis-
cipline and an insatiable appetite for learning.
The years between 17 and 22 marked the beginning
of his business education. As a salesman and a general
manager in a factory, he came to understand the unique
workings of the market and learned how to handle rela-
tionships with business partners and how to be a leader.
In his early days as an entrepreneur, he became fully
aware of the importance of risk management, techno-
logical innovation and seeing the bigger picture.
Added to these varied experiences were his rare learning ca-
pability, insight and a strong sense of balance and reality. These
abilities, together with his feel for numbers and natural talent
for business, set him on the path that would eventually lead
to fame and fortune, with people even calling him Superman.
On 1 May 2000 when his company celebrated its 50th anniver-
sary, Mr Li was in his office alone and suddenly realised that his
company had never made a loss in half a century.
A mass of contradictions
Li Ka-shing’s inner world is a mass of contradictions. At times,
he feels a sense of superiority befitting his venerable status and
age. He believes that “our greatest wealth lies in the quality of
our soul”, and he likes the unrestrained poetry of Tao Yuan-
ming and Su Dongpo.
At other times, however, he is deeply concerned about the af-
fairs of the real world. He frowns upon those young people who
read undesirable publications on trains; he sheds tears when
he sees suffering and pain; he grumbles that Chinese people
should have a better sense of value judgement. At times, the
degeneration of public morality and human relationships fill
him with despair.
All these contradictions are consistent with his business
persona. Many would
be impressed by his
gentlemanly demean-
our. It is well known
that he respects his staff and treats them very well. These traits,
however, do not explain how he can lead his enormous busi-
ness empire with such efficiency and effectiveness. Mr Li some-
times refers to himself as a “kind lion”. But no matter how kind
he is, he is still, at the end of the day, a lion.
For many years the media have been asking Mr Li about his
retirement plans. He revealed recently that he hoped to reduce
his workload in 2008. He will not be resting, however. His plan
is to spend more time working for the Foundation.
Mr Li is now the greatest Chinese entrepreneur. Will he be-
come the greatest Chinese philanthropist? Will the passion and
imagination he brings to the Foundation take him in yet an-
other new direction?
We will know in good time. But for this 16-year-old who
wandered the streets of Hong Kong alone, this 28-year-old who
pondered the meaning of life that night on Po Shan Road, this
78-year-old master of his own universe, it is perhaps the con-
stant giving and seeking of new truths that represents the true
meaning of our existence.
Three faces of Li Ka-shing:
the struggling teenager, the young
entrepreneur (opposite) and the
master of his own universe.