Peter Woo | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Woo Kwong-ching September 5, 1946 Shanghai, China | ||||||||
| Education | University of Cincinnati Columbia Business School | ||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Former chairman of Wheelock and Company Limited and The Wharf Holdings Limited | ||||||||
| Spouse | Bessie Pao Pui-yung | ||||||||
| Children | 3 (including Douglas Woo) | ||||||||
| Relatives | Yue-kong Pao (father-in-law) | ||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 吳光正 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 吴光正 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Peter Woo Kwong-ching, GBM, GBS, JP (Chinese: 吳光正; born September 5, 1946) is a Hong Kong billionaire businessman. He was the chairman of Wheelock and Company Limited (SEHK: 20)and The Wharf Holdings Limited (SEHK: 4) until 19 May 2015. As of April 2021, his net worth is estimated to be $14 billion.[1]
Woo was born in Shanghai in 1946 with ancestral roots in Ningbo, Zhejiang,[2][3] and moved to Hong Kong in 1949.[citation needed][4] He was educated at St Stephen's College, a Direct Subsidy Scheme privately owned but government-funded boarding school (which is also Hong Kong's largest secondary school), in the town of Stanley, and went on to attain his bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati, US, majoring in physics.[5] While a student, Woo was senior class president,[6] and became a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, an endeavor he is still involved in today. He later obtained an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York, US.[citation needed]
After graduating, Woo worked at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York and Hong Kong, where he met his future wife Bessie. Bessie was the sister of the woman he was arranged to be married to. His family did not approve of a non Asian marriage.[7]
Woo's diversified interests are reflected in his businesses, focusing in real estate development in Hong Kong, China and Singapore.[citation needed] The group owns several investment properties such as Harbour City and Times Square in Hong Kong, as well as operating other businesses such as i-Cable Communications, Wharf New T&T, Modern Terminals Limited and Marco Polo Hotels.[citation needed] Woo also owns the privately held, high-end luxury retail group LCJG, which includes Lane Crawford and the premier fashion house, Joyce.[citation needed] Woo also serves on the advisory board for various Fortune 500 companies such as Chase Manhattan Bank, JPMorgan Chase and General Electric.[8]
Woo is a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.[citation needed]
His past appointments include:
In 1996, Woo ran in the First Hong Kong Chief Executive Election just before the British colony was handed over back to Chinese rule, alongside Yang Ti-liang and Tung Chee-hwa. Tung won.[citation needed]
The Government of Hong Kong appointed Woo Justice of the Peace in 1993, awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star in 1998 and the Grand Bauhinia Medal in 2012.[9]