10 Things You Didn't Know About Stanley Ho, The King Of Gambling

As Macau's legendary Casino King takes a well-deserved bow and retires from active duty, we take a look at some of the fascinating facets of his extraordinary life

1. Ambition runs in the family

Above Sir Robert Hotung, Stanley Ho's great-uncle, was one of the most influential businessmen in Hong Kong's history (Photo: SCMP)

Stanley Ho’s penchant for wealth and success may well run in the family, as he is the grand-nephew of one of Hong Kong’s most influential businessmen and philanthropists, Sir Robert Hotung, who, by the time of his death in 1956, had become one of the richest property owners in the region.

Stanley Ho’s own family has expanded rapidly over the past few years. As one of thirteen siblings—and with four wives and seventeen kids of his own—the Ho family's reunions are known for being newsworthy events.

2. A man of many honours

Above Photo: Courtesy of Forbes

Dr. Stanley Ho is no stranger to honours. Over the years he has gathered a series of notable titles and awards, such as an O.B.E and a Great Cross of the Order of Prince Henrique (one of the highest honours the Portuguese government can bestow), but within Hong Kong and Macau, he has been unofficially dubbed "The Godfather" as well as "The King of Gambling".

3. He founded the Sky Shuttle to Macau

Above Photo: Courtesy of Macau Daily Times

Stanley Ho has always been known for his ambitious career, and his ideas have literally taken him to the skies. In early 1961, Stanley Ho released plans to establish the first ever helicopter route servicing passengers between Hong Kong and Macau—a route that is still going strong, with over 42 flights per day.

4. He has a street named after him 

Above Photo: Courtesy of Chapter 1.4

Not only has Stanley Ho been paving the way for Macau’s multi-billion dollar gambling industry, but his name is also literally on the streets. Located in the south of Macau, Avenida Doutor Stanley Ho is one of the city’s busiest avenues, renamed in his honour almost 10 years ago in early 2008.

5. He's one of the world's richest men

Above Photo: Business Insider

By the 1990’s, SJM Holdings’ taxes accounted for over half of Macau’s annual income, and in 2006 Macau’s casino revenue officially surpassed that of Las Vegas. All of this combined has catapulted him straight to Forbes’ list of the world’s richest men and women.

Currently, his net worth is estimated at a comfortable US$2.5 billion, and as of March 2018, his daughter Pansy Ho was listed as Hong Kong's richest woman.

6. His daughter is next in line 

Above Photo: Courtesy of MGM Macau

Stanley Ho is… still in the building? Even though he’s officially retiring, Stanley Ho will remain in place as the Company’s Chairman Emeritus, while his daughter Daisy Ho is appointed as Chairman and Executive director, alongside co-chairman Timothy Fok, the son of Ho's first business partner.

7. He loves to dance

Above Photo: Courtesy of CGTN News

When Stanley Ho is not busy running one of the world’s most lucrative gambling empires, you can usually find him on the dance floor. Over the years he has mastered the cha-cha, waltz, tango, ballroom and swing. He has become a major supporter of Hong Kong’s dance and arts scene, with televised charity fundraisers, and is currently the patron of the Hong Kong Ballet and the International Dance Teachers Association.

8. He started as a smuggler

Above Photo: Courtesy of the Ho Family

While Stanley Ho is known as the founding father of Macau’s gambling industry, his career initially began during World War II as a luxury goods smuggler, transporting stock to and from the China/Macau border.

9. He has two honorary doctorates

Above Photo: Courtesy of the Asia Times

Is there a doctor in the building? Thanks to not one, but two, honorary doctorates from Hong Kong and Macau University respectively, Stanley Ho is not only a financial mogul, but an (academic) doctor to boot.

10. His life has inspired two movies and a video game

Above A scene from Casino Tycoon (Photo: Courtesy of Newport Entertainment Ltd.)

Is it any wonder that Stanley Ho's life has (loosely) inspired a film adaptation? Casino Tycoon, filmed in 1992 stars Andy Lau, playing 'Benny', a young man fleeing from Japan to Macau, who eventually becomes the head of a gambling mafia. The film was followed by a sequel, Casino Tycoon 2 later the same year, and even inspired a video game adaptation of the same name, released for PC in 2001.

This article first appeared on hk.asiatatler.com.

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Macau Stanley Ho

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