Cecil Chao Net Worth

What is Cecil Chao's net worth?

Cecil Chao is a Hong Kong billionaire, real estate tycoon, and socialite who has a net worth of $2 billion. Cecil Chao is best known for his flamboyant personal life and controversial efforts to control his daughter's romantic choices. Chao made his fortune as the chairman of Cheuk Nang Holdings, a publicly traded property development company with projects across Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and mainland China. His name became internationally famous in 2012 when he offered $65 million to any man who could "turn" his daughter Gigi Chao away from her wife and convince her to marry him instead. Despite global outrage and ridicule, Chao later doubled and then tripled the "bounty," drawing more than 20,000 would-be suitors. The saga made him a tabloid fixture and the subject of worldwide fascination, blending the worlds of wealth, power, and outdated social values in a single headline-grabbing story.

Early Life and Career

Cecil Chao Sze-Tsung was born in Hong Kong in 1936, the son of real estate developer Chao Tsong-yea. After studying architecture and engineering, he followed his father into the property business, establishing himself as one of the territory's most prominent developers during Hong Kong's postwar boom. Chao founded Cheuk Nang Holdings in 1960 and built his fortune through high-end residential and commercial developments. Over the decades, he became known for his flair for design, his love of luxury, and his ability to profit from Hong Kong's real estate cycles. Under his leadership, Cheuk Nang expanded its portfolio to include office towers, hotels, and residential complexes across Asia.

Cheuk Nang Holdings and Wealth

Chao's company, Cheuk Nang Holdings, became publicly traded and grew into a diversified property empire spanning Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China. Its projects have included high-rise condominiums, shopping centers, and mixed-use developments catering to wealthy investors. Although his net worth fluctuated with the volatile Hong Kong property market, he maintained a reputation as one of the city's more colorful billionaires. Unlike many of his low-profile peers, Chao relished media attention and moved in elite social circles, frequently photographed at charity galas and fashion events. He once famously claimed to have slept with over 10,000 women and was rarely seen without a much younger companion on his arm.

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The Gigi Chao Controversy

Cecil Chao's name became globally infamous in 2012 when his daughter, Gigi Chao, married her long-time partner, Sean Eav, in a ceremony in France. Refusing to accept the union, Chao publicly denied that the marriage had taken place and described Gigi as a "single woman with both talents and looks." He then announced a $65 million offer to any man who could persuade her to leave her wife and marry him instead. After receiving more than 20,000 responses, he doubled the amount to $130 million in 2014 and later raised it to $180 million, insisting he simply wanted his daughter to "have a good husband."

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Gigi responded gracefully, releasing a statement thanking her father for his love but noting that "no amount of money would attract a man I would find attractive." She also suggested any interested men donate to her charity, Faith in Love. Despite the controversy, she maintained a cordial relationship with her father, who appeared unable—or unwilling—to accept her sexuality. Their story became a symbol of generational and cultural tension in modern Hong Kong and even inspired a 2015 Filipino television drama titled "Rich Man's Daughter."

Personal Life and Legacy

Cecil Chao's flamboyant personality and romantic boasts made him a fixture in Hong Kong's gossip pages. He claimed to have fathered several children but never married, maintaining a lifelong reputation as a bachelor. His lavish lifestyle—complete with yachts, private jets, and rotating young companions—helped cement his image as Hong Kong's ultimate playboy tycoon.

While often criticized for his views on sexuality and his attempts to interfere in his daughter's private life, Chao remains one of the more eccentric figures in Asian business. His combination of immense wealth, unapologetic flamboyance, and old-world values has made him a legendary, if controversial, presence in Hong Kong's modern history.

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