No. 218Hong Kong
Joseph Lau
Real estate · Hong Kong
Net worth
$14.2B
Today
−$34−0.00%Past month
−$2M−0.01%As of Nov 11, 2026, 1:50 PM EST
Joseph Lau is the former chairman of property developer Chinese Estates, most of which he acquired in 1986. Lau owns a sizable portfolio of prime real estate in Hong Kong. An avid art collector, his wealth also includes pieces from Warhol, Gauguin and Hockney that are worth at least $1 billion. He became a billionaire in 2006 and his brother Thomas also made the billionaires' club. In 2017 Joseph Lau said he transferred most of his wealth to his wife and a son, citing serious health issues.
Net worth over time
−0.01%−$2M over the past month
$14B$14B$14B
Oct 12Nov 11
Principal holdings
2 positions| Company | Industry | Share | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
Private and other holdings | Real Estate | 98.8% | $14.0B |
Chinese Estates (Holdings) Ltd. HONG KONG: 127-HK | Real Estate | 1.3% | $177M |
Also known for
- Lau purchased a 12-carat blue diamond for a record-breaking $49 million in 2015.
- Lau was sentenced to 5 years in prison by a Macau court for bribery and money laundering in 2014, but he can't be extradited to Macau and hasn't spent a day in jail.
- Lau failed to take Chinese Estates private in 2021, when its investment in cash-strapped mainland property developer China Evergrande had $1 billion loss.