The Honourable

Ronnie Chan

GBM
陳啟宗
Ronnie Chan in 2009
Born
Chan Chi-chung

1949 (age 74–75)
British Hong Kong
EducationCalifornia State University
University of Southern California (MBA)
OccupationProperty developer
SpouseBarbara Chan
Children2
RelativesGerald Chan (brother)
Ronnie Chan
Traditional Chinese陳啟宗

Ronnie Chan Chi-chung GBM (Chinese: 陳啟宗; born 1949) is a Hong Kong businessman.

Education

Chan earned bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from a California State University. He received an MBA from the University of Southern California in 1976.[1][2][3]

Chan was given honorary doctorates by Tel Aviv University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.[4]

Career

In 1991, he became the chairman of Hang Lung Group and its subsidiary Hang Lung Properties. As of 2014, it was one of the largest real estate developers in Hong Kong.[5] He succeeded the chairman position in the companies from his uncle. He is also the vice-president of the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong, a co-chairman of the Asia Society and chairman of its Hong Kong Center, and an advisor to the China Development Research Foundation of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.

He has served on the governing or advisory bodies of several think-tanks and universities, including China Foreign Affairs University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and his alma mater, the University of Southern California.[6][7]

He was a director of Enron Corporation and a member of its audit committee when it filed for bankruptcy as a result of fraud.[8] In November 2009, he attended the Horasis Global China Business Meeting in Lisbon, where his criticisms of American financial policy garnered widespread attention.[9]

Political views

Through his companies' multiple votes on Hong Kong's democratic 'Election Committee', Chan supported Carrie Lam for the role of Chief Executive. But in 2019, during the massive protests that rocked the territory, he opined that having a civil servant in the role was the “most ridiculous thing” and that Lam's "unwise policies" had contributed to the unrest, which he emphasised was caused by political, not social, issues. He also supported Leung Chun-ying in the 2013 election for chief executive.[10]

He has stated that Hongkongers' "DNA is different from the mainlanders’ because many escaped from there" and blamed a lack of national identity for the protests.[10]

Philanthropy

In 1996, Chan began providing yearly financial assistance to needy students at top universities in China.[5]

In September 2014, Chan's family, through their Morningside Foundation,[11] donated US$350 million and US$20 million to Harvard University and the University of Southern California, respectively.[12][13][14]

In 2021, a US$175 million gift was bestowed by Morningside on the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, which was subsequently renamed UMass Chan Medical School. The constituent schools were likewise renamed to the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, and the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.[15]

Personal life

Chan's brother Gerald Chan is also a director of Hang Lung Group.[16]

Chan is married to Barbara Chan and has two sons.[12][13]

In 2004, Chan's son Adriel Chan received his bachelor's degree in international relations from USC. Chan's other son Adley Chan earned his bachelor's degree in sociology, as well as bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in occupational therapy from USC.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Ronnie C. Chan ENRON profile". Archived from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  2. ↑ "HANG LUNG PROPERTIES". www.hanglung.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  3. ↑ USC. Ronnie C. Chan. "usc.edu". Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  4. ↑ Committee of 100. Member Roster. "committee100.org". Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  5. 1 2 Liu, Juliana (19 September 2014). "Hong Kong's tycoon philanthropist Ronnie Chan". BBC News. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  6. ↑ "Ronnie Chan". Institute for New Economic Thinking. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  7. ↑ Staff, WSJ. "Ronnie Chan: Don't Forget China's Problems". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  8. ↑ "Enron's Cast of Characters and Their Stock Sales". Trinity University. Archived from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  9. ↑ "Wall Street's Ego Bubble" Archived 22 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Newsweek, 17 November 2009
  10. 1 2 Property developer Ronnie Chan says Hong Kong needs a ‘strong, political leader’ to handle protest crisis and putting civil servants in charge is ‘the most ridiculous’ idea Archived 11 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine, SCMP, 8 Oct 2019
  11. ↑ "Philanthropy". www.morningside.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  12. 1 2 Tsang, Denise. Ronnie Chan: philanthropist taking charity through the roof. 22 September 2014. "scmp.org". 22 September 2014. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 Raymond, Jessica. Chan family gift creates first named, endowed occupational therapy program in nation. 17 September 2014. "usc.edu". 17 September 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "Conversation with Ronnie Chan on Philanthropy". Asia Society. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  15. ↑ "University of Massachusetts announces $175 million transformational gift to its Medical School". UMass Chan Medical School. 3 September 2021. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  16. ↑ "Hong Kong's 40 Richest". Forbes. 28 January 2008. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
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