Li Ka-shing, a scholarly family, was born in China Guangdong Chao the father Li Yun by primary school principals grandfather for the Qing Dynasty, the last session scholar. Fleeing with his family during the Japanese invasion of China, arrived in Hong Kong after 10 days journey. 1941 Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the mother and other siblings then return Chaoan, while the death of her father in the fall, so Li Ka-shing, dropped out of school employment, the first watch company to enter the uncle repair watches, after working in the restaurant, and subsequently became the watch strap salesman , was only 12 years old at the time. Li Ka-shing in 1945 when he joined only 17 years old, became a toy salesman, but has become the general manager of the company's 19 years old. His business talent has emerged at this time.

In 1950, he established Yangtze Plastic Factory in Hong Kong to U.S. $ 7,000 [8] to participate in the most important export commodity ─ ─ plastic flowers trafficking, Li Ka-shing, mixed feelings, full of passion: "Yangtze River plastics factory just produce some plastic toys and household goods imported to Europe and the United States via exports Matheson in the first 10 years, to work seven days a week, at least 16 hours a day, and at night they still self-study, coupled with not enough manpower, own factory who is also potential buyers, orders often lack of sleep, two alarm clocks to get up in the morning, said the daily saddest moment. "to the 1958 turnover of 10 million Hong Kong dollars, the plastic flowers scored his pot of gold, became the" plastic spend a king. "
Transition investment real estate in 1958, and Cheung Kong Holdings, was established in 1971 and $ 3 per share in 1972, issued 4,200 shares listed, the first day than the listing price rose almost turned into, to become a real estate Fab Five to one. Its good at the equity financing of the stock market boom, so be big snack has risen by more than 20 times its land bank, within one year of listing, and began the rapid accumulation of wealth. U.S. high corporate acquisition holds the Hilton Hotel (now the Cheung Kong Center) in the 1970s, and Green Island Cement controlling stake. Li Ka-shing, announced September 25, 1979 from HK $ 7.1 per share, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (a premium over the closing price at that time), the acquisition of 9,000 shares, a total of 639 million to buy the British-owned Ocean line, a market value of about HK $ 6.0 billion 22.4% stake in Hutchison Whampoa, one year more holdings to 40% of the successful control of Hutchison Whampoa. The long and Group almost wealthy [9]. Yi set the system into financial difficulties, and the acquisition of Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island electricity suppliers Hongkong Electric Company in 1985 by 34.9% of the equity in the first half of 1989, Ap Lei Chau power plant reconstruction of large housing estates in Hong Kong Island , and was named "South Horizons. Acquisition of the shares of Petro-Canada Husky Energy in 1987, and the first landing on the Forbes list of the richest. Mainland China Tiananmen incident occurred in 1989, at the time when large-scale divestment of foreign-funded enterprises, Li Ka-shing instead a major push into the Chinese mainland market, to become the largest investor in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and he was in the June incident two years after winning the local another commercial radio broadcasting license, and was named the Metro Radio, large-scale integrated property projects in Beijing Oriental Plaza "is his proud masterpiece" in the Chinese mainland. Later, Li Ka-shing, Cheung Kong Infrastructure investment projects in mainland China. CKI plays a very important weight in China's energy construction.
Li Ka-shing, also with one of Hong Kong's largest bank HSBC good addition to the purchase of Hutchison Whampoa's equity, Li Ka-shing is also one of the shareholders of HSBC, in 1980 to become a non-executive director of Hong Kong and Shanghai, the more bit extremely HSBC Holdings (and its predecessor HSBC) Board non-executive vice chairman for seven years, until retiring in 1992, the first anniversary of the establishment of the time value of HSBC [10]. HSBC Global Rights Issue in 2009, Li Ka-shing, also traveling its full rights in order to stabilize the share price. Its sub-Victor is still the body of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (which is currently a director of a subsidiary).
According to the U.S. "Forbes" ranking in February 2004, Li Ka-shing, the richest in the world Top 19, beyond the media tycoon Rupert Murdoch. Many Hong Kong people have lamented their life working for the Li Ka-shing, buy rental housing is Li Ka-shing cover, to the supermarket shopping, mobile phones and so on [11] and Li Ka-shing. In 2005, Forbes published a wealth of Li Ka-shing, to $ 18.8 billion ranked tenth. In 2006, Li Ka-shing, the total asset value of up to $ 23 billion, ranking ninth in the world. Li Ka-shing, to $ 26.5 billion in assets in 2008 in "Forbes" ranked 11 in the world.
U.S. financial magazine Forbes published the list of 40 richest in Hong Kong, Cheung Kong Group Chairman Li Ka-shing, to continue firmly secured the top spot with $ 16.2 billion in 2009. "Forbes" refers to the wealth of Li Ka-shing, Cheung Kong fell by the financial tsunami, reduced by half to $ 16.2 billion compared with last year, but is still ranked the top.