In our article titled “Peter Woo 101: Who is the Famous Businessman?” on Zatrun.com, we will delve into everything you need to know about the renowned businessman Peter Woo in detail.
Who is Peter Woo?
Peter Woo, also known by his Chinese name Woo Kwong-ching, is a Hong Kong billionaire businessman born on September 5, 1946, and awarded the titles of GBM, GBS, and JP according to Hong Kong customs. Until May 19, 2015, he served as chairman of Wheelock and Company Limited (SEHK: 20) and The Wharf Holdings Limited (SEHK: 4). As of April 2021, his net worth is estimated at $14 billion.
Woo was born in Shanghai in 1946 with ancestral roots in Ningbo, Zhejiang, and moved to Hong Kong in 1949. He attended St Stephen’s College in the town of Stanley, a privately owned but government-funded boarding school and also Hong Kong’s largest secondary school. He went on to attain his bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Cincinnati in the US. While a student, Woo was senior class president and became a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, an organization he still participates in today. He later obtained an MBA degree from Columbia Business School in New York.
Life and Career
Following graduation, Peter Woo worked at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York and Hong Kong where he met his future wife Bessie. Bessie was the sister of the woman he was planned to be married to. Her family did not approve of a non-Asian marriage. Peter Woo’s various interests are reflected in real estate development-focused businesses in Hong Kong, China, and Singapore.
The group owns many investment properties such as Harbour City and Times Square in Hong Kong, as well as operates other businesses such as i-Cable Communications, Wharf New T&T, Modern Terminals Limited, and Marco Polo Hotels. Woo is also the owner of the private, luxury retail group LCJG which includes Lane Crawford and the leading fashion house Joyce. Additionally, he serves as a board member for various Fortune 500 companies such as Chase Manhattan Bank, JPMorgan Chase, and General Electric.
Political and Non-Profit Organizations
Peter Woo is a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. His past appointments include:
- Chairman of the Council of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University from 1993 to 1997.
- Founding Chairman of the Hong Kong Environmental Protection and Conservation Fund Committee from 1994 to 2004.
- Chairman of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority from 1995 to 2000.
- Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council from 2000 to 2007.
- In 1996, just before the British colony was returned to Chinese rule, he ran for the First Hong Kong Chief Executive Election along with Yang Ti-liang and Tung Chee-hwa. Tung won.
- Achievements and Honors: The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government awarded Woo the Justice of Peace in 1993, the Gold Bauhinia Star in 1998, and the Grand Bauhinia Medal in 2012.
