Lim Por-yen | |
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| Born | (1914-12-21)21 December 1914 Chaoyang, Guangdong, China |
| Died | 18 February 2005(2005-02-18) (aged 90) |
| Known for | FoundingLai Sun Group Chairman ofAsia Television |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 8, includingPeter Lam andPearl Lam |
Lim Por-yen（21 December 1914 – 18 February 2005) was a Hong Kong industrialist. He founded theLai Sun Group, and his family was the biggest shareholder ofAsia Television.
Lim was born inChaoyang, Shantou, on 21 December 1914. He grew up inShantou andHong Kong. His father was a banker in Shantou. He moved to Hong Kong with his father in 1931.
In 1935, Lim returned to Shantou and worked as an apprentice at Jiacheng Bank (佳成銀行), a local bank in Shantou. In 1937, he returned to Hong Kong and worked as a cold call salesman. In 1945, after the Second World War, Lim and his wife started Sing Fook Knitting Factory in Un Chau Street,Sham Shui Po, concentrating on export business. Lim earned himself the nickname of "African King" in the 1950s when he exported cheap military uniforms to African countries.[1] His company, Lai Sun Garment, was founded in 1947, and later listed on theHong Kong Stock Exchange.
He successfully diversified into real estate in 1987 when he set up another vehicle,Lai Sun Development.[2]
He is said to have made in excess of ¥700 million in donations to causes throughout China, of which Shantou's share was more than half.[nb 1] He has been a supporter of education in Hong Kong by setting up several schools.
He also donated to theUniversity of Hong Kong's SARS Fund and helped to establish theJao Tsung-I Petite Ecole. His support of the HKU Foundation and to the university in general over the years earned him an honorary fellowship in 2003.[3] Lim also endowed an Eye Genetics Research Center (named after him) at the CUHK in 2004.[4]
Lim was aHong Kong Affairs Adviser to Beijing. He also served on the Preparatory Committee and Selection Committee of the SAR. He was a founding member of the Better Hong Kong Foundation.[5]
Lim was implicated in the largest bribery scandal in Taiwan at the time.[5] Lim was arrested by Taiwan's Bureau of Investigation on accusations that he offeredNT$200 million in bribes to several officials of the Taipei County Land Administration Bureau, including its former director.[1]
Lim owned some land originally slated for farming and industrial use. After Lim bought it, officials allocated the land for the newNational Taipei University, allowing him to sell the land back toTaipei County for more than NT$890 million (US$28.6 million), an estimated NT$300 million above market value. He is alleged to have bribed officials to rezone the land.[6]
In 1999, he was found guilty on charges of bribery andmoney laundering through the land deals, but his prison sentence of 38 months was reduced by one year.[6][7] His appeal of this conviction was still under consideration at the time of his death.
At his death he remained legally married to his first wife, Lai Yuen-Fong.[8]
His second wife, U Po-chu, is a 50-year veteran of the garment industry and is a non-executive director of Lai Sun Garment.[1]
Lim died on 18 February 2005 atQueen Mary Hospital inPok Fu Lam, from a lung infection; he was in his 90s.[2]
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| Preceded by | Chairman of theAsia Television 1990–1998 | Succeeded by |