Li Ka-shing built Cheung Kong from a small plastics manufacturer into the base of a global conglomerate after a childhood marked by war, poverty and the loss of his father. [1][3]
War, work and a first factory
Li's foundation says his family fled to Hong Kong during wartime and that he was forced to leave school after his father's death. Forbes has described him working long hours in plastics while helping support his family, circumstances that made his business career begin from genuine financial and personal hardship rather than an inherited operating company. [1][2]
In 1950 Li established Cheung Kong Industries to manufacture plastic products. Forbes reports that he started with roughly $6,500 assembled from savings and loans from relatives, then expanded into plastic flowers after identifying overseas demand through trade publications. [1][4][3]
From plastics to property and infrastructure
Profits from the plastics business became the foundation for a broader investment strategy. Forbes traces Li's expansion into Hong Kong real estate during the 1960s and his 1979 acquisition of control of Hutchison Whampoa, moves that shifted his wealth base from one manufacturing company toward property, ports, retail, telecommunications and other long-lived infrastructure businesses. [3]
That progression matters financially because Li's fortune was compounded by repeatedly reinvesting operating gains into controlling stakes in larger assets rather than by a single liquidity event. The conglomerate's scale therefore reflects decades of retained ownership and capital allocation, while reported company values remain distinct from the value of Li's personal economic interest. [3][4]
Sources for background
Sources reviewed Sep 15, 2026.
- Our Founder · Li Ka Shing Foundation
- Li Ka-shing Opens Up About His Early Years · Forbes · May 10, 2010
- Li Ka-Shing's Midas Touch · Forbes · Mar 7, 2012
- Li Ka-shing · Forbes · Mar 10, 2026
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