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From Plastics to Ports: How Ka-shing Cashed in on Success
From Plastics to Ports: How Ka-shing Cashed in on Success
“I wake up every day just before 6:00 am and exercise and play golf for an hour and a half,” says Li. “I insist on reading before I go to bed at night. I am still energetic during the day. Your energy comes from being interested in your work.” From manufacturing plastic flowers to becoming one of Hong Kong’s savviest businessmen, Li must have had an intense interest in his work to accomplish all that he has. How did this one time refugee and high school drop out become one of the world’s billionaire businessmen?
Prudence: Growing up, Li never had much. His childhood, despite being filled with love and learning, was one of poverty. It was a situation he would never want to revisit. That is why, even when in charge of a billion dollar business, Li never took the financial risks that many of his peers did. It was by being prudent and conservative in both his personal and professional lives that Li was able to safely climb to the top.
Goals: Li did not get to where he is today by hoping or wishing it would happen. Nor was it his lucky stars or his Chinese horoscope. Li had a clear vision of here he wanted to go and worked hard to get there. It was only in setting goals and holding himself accountable to those goals that he was in the end able to achieve them.
Learning: “The more you know, the more prepared you will be when opportunity knocks,” says Li. “If you are lazy and wile your time away, you would not know how to take advantage of opportunities even if they stared you in the face.” There is nary a time when you will find Li without a book or a newspaper or an industry report in his hands. In learning all he could about his businesses, Li gave himself a significant competitive edge.
Principles: “I want to build a corporation that not only the Chinese are proud of, but that even foreigners are impressed with,” says Li. It was to that end that Li refused to compromise his principles with any of his customers or colleagues. By being honest and staying true to his word, Li built a reputation and a loyal following that has often stayed with him for decades.
Timing: Li has transferred his poker playing skills to the business world. While he has at times bet on a long shot, as well as a losing horse, more often than not, Li has correctly sensed when the right time to enter a market was and when was the best time to get out. He understood the nature of these openings and seized the opportunities as they presented themselves.
“If you have done your best to make meaningful contributions, when it is time for you to go, all you will feel is a little tired, just like when the sun sets you need to take a rest,” says Li. “I just hope that I lead a full life.”
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In Hong Kong, they refer to him simply as “Superman.” To the rest of the world, Li Ka-shing is known as one of the most astute businessmen and investors today. What began as a small venture into the plastics industr...
