About James Wu
Lived 1922 – 2020 (aged 97–98). James Wu was a businessperson.
James Tak Wu, GBS, (; 1922 – 29 October 2020) was a Hong Kong businessman who co-founded Maxim's Catering (now a major subsidiary of Dairy Farm International Holdings) and co-founded a chain of restaurants, nightclubs, fast-food outlets, cake and coffee shops, institutional catering units and theaters throughout Hong Kong. As of 2015, Wu remained Honorary Chairman of Maxim's Group under Jardine Matheson's ownership.
Background With ancestry from Taishan, Guangdong, Wu was born in the United States and educated in Guangdong. Wu graduated from Lingnan University in Guangzhou in 1947. With brother S.T. Wu, Wu established Maxim's Catering in Kowloon, Hong Kong, in 1956 and, by 1967, had a thriving business.
Wu was a member of the Hong Kong Tourism Board in 2002.
Family He is the father of Annie Wu Suk-ching.
Honours Wu is Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Development & Planning Council, whose focus is on nurturing professional management talent for Southern China. He holds Honorary Doctorates from the Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou and Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 2009, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government. He was named "Honorary Citizen of Guangzhou" by the municipal government of his native Guangzhou in 2003.
Death On 19 November 2020, the Maxim's Group published a post on its website, announcing Wu had died on 29 October 2020 at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, aged 98.
Legacy The Dr and Mrs James Tak Wu Award for Outstanding Service (Lingnan University; established 1998)
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Important facts
People in James Wu's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was James Wu?
Hong Kong businessman (1922–2020)
When was James Wu born?
James Wu was born in 1922 in Jiangmen.
When did James Wu die?
James Wu died on 29 October 2020.
What was James Wu's occupation?
James Wu was a businessperson.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Wu. https://biography.guide/james-wu/
MLA: "James Wu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-wu/.
Chicago: "James Wu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-wu/.
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