Chen Din-hwa OBE (simplified Chinese: 陈廷骅; traditional Chinese: 陳廷驊; pinyin: Chén Tínghuá; 1923 – 17 June 2012) was a Hong Kong industrial tycoon, billionaire and philanthropist.[1] He was known as the "King of Cotton Yarn" in Hong Kong.[2]

Chen Din-hwa
陳廷驊
Born1923 (1923)
Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
Died (aged 89)
Hong Kong
NationalityChinese
CitizenshipHong Kong
OccupationBusinessman
SpouseYang Foo Oi (divorced)
ChildrenAngela Chen Wai-fong and Vivien Chen Wai Wai (daughters)

Life and career

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Chen was born in Ningbo, Zhejiang, Republic of China in 1923.[3] His family was poor and he left school at the age of 12 to serve as an apprentice to a silk merchant. His father was reportedly a Shanghai-based industrialist, mainly in textiles. When Chen was 22 years old, he was already chief manager of his family business and owned several shops and factories in Shanghai and Ningbo.[4] In 1949, Chen's family shifted to Hong Kong and set up in business there.[2][5] He set up a successful cotton-yarn maker called Nan Fung Mill.

In 1954, he established Nan Fung Textiles, becoming chairman, and Nan Fung Development Limited.[2][6] The company also developed interests in shipping.[7][8]

When diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2009, Chen handed over control of his business to his younger daughter Vivien Chen, who had been part of the business since 1981.[9] In 2010, his wife Yang Foo Oi and elder daughter Angela, a trained architect who lived in the United States and now in Hong Kong, sued younger daughter Vivian, alleging that Chen was misled into transferring assets to a trust fund controlled by Vivian.[10] Yang divorced him in 2011.[2][11]

Chen died on 17 June 2012 at the age of 89, reportedly of prostate cancer.[2][5] At his death he was ranked by Forbes as the 14th wealthiest person in Hong Kong, with a net worth of US$2.6 billion,[7][12] though earlier in his career he had been among the top ten.[13]

Family and personal life

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Chen was married to Yang Foo Oi until 2011, when the couple divorced.[citation needed] They had two daughters.[2] As a devout Buddhist, Chen founded the eponymous D.H. Chen Foundation, which provides charity services in education, welfare and medicine.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "陳廷驊病逝 享年89歲 - 東方日報". orientaldaily.on.cc. Oriental Daily News. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Empire builder Chen Din-hwa dies at 89, South China Morning Post, Peggy Sito and Ng Kang-chung, 19 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012
  3. ^ "南丰陈廷骅:"棉纱大王"的地产人生-搜狐财经". business.sohu.com. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  4. ^ "陈廷骅曾列港十大富豪 前妻幼女争产官司仍胶着-中新网". www.chinanews.com.cn. China News Service.
  5. ^ a b 南豐集團創辦人陳廷驊病逝 Archived 20 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine (in Chinese)
  6. ^ Chen biodata
  7. ^ a b c "H.K.'s 'King Of Cotton Yarn' Dies At 89", Forbes, 19 June 2012
  8. ^ "陳廷驊遺體移送殯儀館 | 蘋果日報 | 要聞港聞 | 20120620". hk.apple.nextmedia.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  9. ^ "财经观察-宁波帮的尴尬:谁人超越历史?". China Radio International. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  10. ^ "南豐集團創辦人陳廷驊逝世". Now 新聞 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 17 June 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  11. ^ "外孫女遲了兩天公布死訊 警插手查陳廷驊死因_星島日報_加拿大多倫多中文新聞網。 Canada Toronto Chinese newspaper". news.singtao.ca. 19 June 2012. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  12. ^ Flannery, Russell (12 July 2012) [Jan 16, 2008]. "Hong Kong's 40 Richest". Forbes. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023.
  13. ^ "南豐陳廷驊與妻正式離婚 - 新浪網 - 新聞". news.sina.com.hk. Archived from the original on 25 April 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
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