Lee Hysan

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Lee Hysan (利希慎; born 1879 - death 1928) was a renowned land developer and entrepreneur in Hong Kong. The ancestral home of the Lee family was Xinhui, Guangdong, and his father, Lee Leung Yik (利良奕) was an early participant in the U.S. gold rush. Hysan Lee was born in Hawaii and attended primary school in the United States. At age seventeen, he returned to Hong Kong and continued his studies at Queen's College. He then taught at the school and served later as a translator.

His father achieved wealth from the opium trade, still legal at the time, and Hysan inherited his 'business'. Expanding into more-legitimate industry, he actively participated in the fast-growing Hong Kong real estate market. In 1923, he bought the Jardine's Hill property, west of Causeway Bay from Jardines for HK$3.8 million, and developed the property as Lee Garden. It is approximately the area around Lee Garden Road, Lee Theatre, Yun Ping Road and Percival Street.

The company he founded became the modern-day Hysan Development Company Limited, still primarily owned and operated by members of the Lee family. His wealth grew exponentially from this business, and he became active in philanthropy. Regardless, he was never fully able to shake the label of 'Opium Prince'.

On 30 April 1928 Lee was assassinated while eating lunch at a social club. At the time of his death, his estate was valued at HK$4.4 million; the present-day Hysan Development Company has a market capitalization in excess of HK$20 billion.

[edit] Landmarks named after Lee Hysan

[edit] Notable family members

Many of Lee's descendants and other family members are notable in their own right:

[edit] External links


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