Former Asian billionaire Li Zhihe was laid to rest today, with representatives from several universities in mainland China and the Hong Kong-Macau region attending the memorial service.

On December 5, the former Asian billionaire and renowned Hong Kong businessman, Dr. Lui Che-woo, was laid to rest. According to reports from Hong Kong media such as the Hong Kong Commercial Daily, a public memorial service was held at the Hong Kong Funeral Home on the morning of December 5, and the funeral procession began at noon.

On the morning of December 5, 2024, in Hong Kong, the funeral of Dr. Lui Che-woo, the former Asian billionaire and prominent businessman, took place at the Hong Kong Funeral Home, attended by numerous figures from the political, business, and entertainment sectors. The public memorial service commenced at 9 a.m., with over 80 groups from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau present to pay their respects, including the Hong Kong Hotels Association, the Hong Kong Real Estate Developers Association, the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, the Hong Kong Construction Industry Council, the Shanghai-Hong Kong Community Association, the General Office of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the Hong Kong Guangdong Youth Association, the National Education (Macau) Association, the Macau Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the Macau Tongshan Hall, and the Macau Women’s Federation.

Dr. Lui was a strong supporter of education, and representatives from several universities in mainland China and the Hong Kong-Macau region attended the memorial, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the University of Macau Lui Che-woo College. Additionally, thousands of political and business leaders, as well as citizens, came to pay their respects. Together with the memorial area set up earlier at the Galaxy International Convention Center in Macau, over ten thousand people have publicly mourned Dr. Lui, expressing their admiration for him.

On the evening of November 11, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s information release platform published an announcement from the board of Galaxy Entertainment Group Limited, stating with deep sorrow that Dr. Lui Che-woo, the chairman and executive director of Galaxy Entertainment, passed away peacefully on November 7, 2024, at the age of 95.

According to the official website of the Xinhui District Government in Jiangmen City, Dr. Lui Che-woo was originally from Daze Town in Xinhui. He was a well-known businessman, philanthropist, and social activist in Hong Kong. He held various social positions and received numerous honors in Hong Kong and mainland China. In 1996, he was recognized by the Guangdong Provincial Government; that same year, he was appointed as a member of the Election Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. In July 2005, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government and served multiple terms as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Dr. Lui was deeply connected to his hometown and actively supported the development of education there. Since the 1980s, he donated funds to establish the Liang Qichao Memorial Secondary School in Xinhui, contributed to the construction of the Lui Che-woo Science Building at Daze Overseas Chinese Secondary School, the teaching building of Daze Lui Jinquan School, and the teaching building of Lui Deying School, as well as renovating the school library and sports facilities. He also funded the establishment of the Lui Deying Memorial Hall and the library of Daze Overseas Chinese Secondary School. Furthermore, Dr. Lui engaged in charitable acts worldwide and founded the “Lui Che-woo Prize – World Civilisation Prize” in Hong Kong, an annual international award recognizing individuals or organizations that contribute to the advancement of world civilization through selfless love.

In 2014, Dr. Lui’s wealth briefly surpassed that of real estate tycoon Li Ka-shing, making him the richest person in Asia at that time.