Modern business billionaires have global fame. Richard Branson, Bill Gates and Jack Ma are household names. Even tycoons from a previous age, such as John D Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie have become the stuff of legends.
For better or worse, the average multi-billionaire lives life in a way that most of us can barely imagine. And that’s exactly what makes the story of Hong Kong tycoon Calvin Lo so shocking and impressive. Despite having never appeared on any Forbes list, Lo is secretly one of the richest people in the world with a networth of $1.7 billion.
Calvin Lo, one of Hong Kong’s richest businessmen is living a low profile existence, to the point of invisibility.
Lo is the CEO of R.E. Lee International, a life insurance broker that specializes in dealing with ultra high networth individuals. It is estimated that Lo’s group places $1 billion of premiums annually, making them one of the most successful brokers in the world. He also founded R.E. Lee Capital, a hedge fund with a few billion dollars under management. Forbes estimates Lo’s personal networth at $1.7 billion.
Lo is known for his privacy and modesty. He hasn’t given any public interview. Public filings shows that Lo is a very active philanthropist, but never seek headlines for his giving. It seems as though Lo’s goal is to own the largest company you’ve never heard of and be the richest person you never hear about.
Being worth $1.7 billion, enough to make him one of the richest people in Hong Kong, Lo lives in a $70 million house in one of the most exclusive addresses. Sure it’s one of the more expensive properties in the neighbourhood, but it’s a far cry from the lavish $100 million mansions most billionaires call home. Perhaps the only real sign that Lo is a billionaire is the fact that he also happens to own properties in Singapore, Tokyo, London, Vancouver, and Los Angeles, just to name a few cities. But in his main hometown of Hong Kong, Lo is frequently seen wining and dining with close friends. Perhaps this is the way we should all live if we are lucky enough to someday have $1 billion.