Stanley Ho

Stanley Ho was a very rich man.

He owned many big buildings and hotels. He also owned many places for games.

His work helped many people find jobs. His businesses helped almost one-fourth of the people in Macau.

He also owned fast boats that carry people.

He loved to dance. He liked to dance the waltz and the tango. He even helped people see great dancers.

He gave many old treasures to museums. He gave a bronze head of a boar to China.

He was a very famous man.

Stanley Ho was a very successful businessman.

He was born in Hong Kong. He later moved to Macau. During World War II, he made money by moving luxury goods across the border. In 1961, he won a big contract. This gave him the right to run gambling in Macau for 40 years. He was often called the King of Gambling.

Ho owned many different kinds of businesses. He owned casinos, hotels, and banks. He also owned a company called TurboJET. This company uses fast boats to carry people between Hong Kong and Macau.

His many businesses provided jobs for almost one-fourth of the people in Macau.

Ho also liked to help his community. He was a fan of dance. He helped bring great dancers to see crowds. He also gave old treasures to museums. He gave two bronze heads to China. These were parts of statues from the Old Summer Palace. One building at a university is named after him.

Stanley Ho was a very famous businessman from Hong Kong and Macau.

He was known for building a huge business empire. Many people called him the "King of Gambling." This was because he held a special permit to run gambling in Macau for 40 years. His companies were so large that they gave jobs to almost one-fourth of the people living in Macau. He was a very powerful figure in the world of business.

Ho's success happened through many different steps. During World War II, he made money by moving luxury goods across the Chinese border. In 1943, he started companies for kerosene and construction. Later, he joined partners to bid for a big contract in Macau. In 1961, his group won the right to run the gaming industry for US$410,000. This win helped him start the company known as STDM. He then opened the Estoril Hotel, which was the first luxury casino resort in Macau.

Ho's life changed many times due to history and his own hard work. He was born in Hong Kong during the time of British rule. He studied at Queen's College, where he was the first student from the lowest class to get a university scholarship. However, World War II interrupted his studies in 1942. After the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, he moved to Macau to start his career. He later became a very important leader in many different groups and committees.

His business empire included many different things. He founded SJM Holdings, which owns nineteen casinos, including the Grand Lisboa. He also started Shun Tak Holdings, which owns many types of businesses. This included shipping, banking, and real estate. One of his companies, TurboJET, runs a huge fleet of fast jetfoils to carry people between Hong Kong and Macau.

His wealth was also shared among his many children and wives. His daughter Pansy Ho owns MGM Macau, and his son Lawrence Ho owns City of Dreams.

Even with his busy work life, Ho had many interests. He loved dancing, especially the tango, cha-cha-cha, and waltz. He even helped bring famous dance groups to perform for people. He also liked to give important treasures back to their home. He donated two bronze heads from the Qing dynasty to China. These pieces were once taken from the Old Summer Palace in 1860.

Today, a building at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University bears his name.

Stanley Ho Hung-sun was a prominent billionaire businessman from Hong Kong and Macau.

He was the founder and chairman of several massive companies. His most famous role was as the head of SJM Holdings. This company owned nineteen casinos in Macau, including the Grand Lisboa. Because he held a government-granted monopoly on Macau's gambling industry for 40 years, people called him the "King of Gambling." His business influence was so vast that his companies employed nearly one-fourth of the entire workforce in Macau.

Ho's path to wealth began with several specific business steps. During World War II, he made his first fortune by smuggling luxury goods and food across the Chinese border. In 1943, he used that money to start a kerosene company and a construction firm. His biggest breakthrough came in 1961 when he and his partners bid for Macau's gaming monopoly license. They won the public tender for US$410,000, beating the existing casino owners by MOP 17,000. This led to the creation of the company Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau, or STDM. Shortly after, he opened the Estoril Hotel, which was Macau's first luxury casino resort.

His business empire was built on many different types of industries. Through Shun Tak Holdings, he controlled shipping, real estate, banking, and air transport. One of his subsidiaries, TurboJET, operated one of the world's largest fleets of high-speed jetfoils. These vessels ferried passengers between Hong Kong and Macau. In the 1980s, he also changed how casinos operated. He introduced the practice of subcontracting private gambling rooms to independent agents. This eventually evolved into the VIP contractual system known as the junket trade.

Ho's life was shaped by significant historical shifts and personal achievements. He was born in Hong Kong during British colonial rule. He attended Queen's College, where he became the first student from the lowest academic class to earn a university scholarship. However, the outbreak of World War II in 1942 cut his studies at the University of Hong Kong short. Following the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, he moved to Macau to begin his clerical work. His ability to adapt to new environments helped him transition from a clerk to a global tycoon.

His wealth was divided among his various family members. His daughter, Pansy Ho, holds an estimated $5.3 billion and owns MGM Macau. His fourth wife, Angela Leong, has $4.1 billion and manages SJM Holdings. His son, Lawrence Ho, has $2.6 billion and owns City of Dreams. Ho's financial reach extended far beyond Macau. He invested in mainland China, Portugal, Vietnam, the Philippines, and even North Korea, where he operated a casino. His business decisions and opinions often had a major impact on the real estate and commercial markets in Hong Kong.

Beyond business, Ho was a dedicated patron of the arts and culture. He was a passionate dancer who loved the tango, cha-cha-cha, and waltz. He frequently sponsored dance performances and invited international groups like the National Ballet of China to perform. Ho also engaged in significant philanthropy by returning historical treasures to China. In 2003 and 2007, he donated bronze heads from the Qing dynasty to the Chinese government. These items had been looted from the Summer Palace in 1860 by French and British armies.

Ho's legacy is visible in many places today. A building at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University bears his name.

His life was not without complexity, including legal disputes with family members over company ownership. He also faced investigations regarding alleged ties to organized crime in various jurisdictions. Despite these challenges, he remained a central figure in the development of Macau. He died on 26 May 2020 at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, leaving behind a massive economic and social footprint in Asia.