Hong Kong’s Richest Tycoon Gives $13 Million to Battle Virus

(Bloomberg) -- The charity of Hong Kong’s richest man donated HK$100 million ($13 million) to help Wuhan, the city at the epicenter of China’s coronavirus outbreak.

The money from Li Ka Shing Foundation will be distributed via the Red Cross Society of China, according to an article posted Monday on the website of the Beijing’s liaison office, which represents the mainland government in Hong Kong.

The founder of real-estate, telecom and ports conglomerate CK group is among the Hong Kong tycoons giving money to charities, hospitals and local governments in mainland China during the outbreak that has infected more than 40,000 people and killed more than 900. Such donors along with some political leaders have donated a combined 1 billion yuan ($143 million), goggles, protection suits and gloves for use in the mainland, according to the liaison office.

Li Ka-shing, 91, has a net worth of about $28.3 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The Li Ka Shing Foundation is also sourcing supplies around the world to help medical workers in Hong Kong and Wuhan, a spokesman for the group said Monday.

The liaison office report also cited Shimao Property Holdings Ltd.’s donation of HK$30 million. The Lee family, which controls Henderson Land Development Co., set up an anti-epidemic foundation with seed funding of 10 million yuan ($1.4 million), the report said. Adrian Cheng, scion of the family group behind New World Development Co., and Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd., donated 10 million yuan to a hospital in the southern city of Guangzhou, it said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Shirley Zhao in Hong Kong at xzhao306@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sam Nagarajan at samnagarajan@bloomberg.net, Dave McCombs

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