Lim Por-yen

Lim Por-yen(21 December 1914 – 18 February 2005) was a Hong Kong industrialist. He founded the Lai Sun Group, and his family was the biggest shareholder of Asia Television.

Biography Lim was born in Chaoyang, Shantou, on 21 December 1914. He grew up in Shantou and Hong Kong. His father was a banker in Shantou. He moved to Hong Kong with his father in 1931.

In 1935, Lim returned to Shantou and worked as an apprentice at Jiacheng Bank (佳成銀行), a local bank in Shantou. In 1937, he returned to Hong Kong and worked as a cold call salesman. In 1945, after the Second World War, Lim and his wife started Sing Fook Knitting Factory in Un Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, concentrating on export business. Lim earned himself the nickname of "African King" in the 1950s when he exported cheap military uniforms to African countries. His company, Lai Sun Garment, was founded in 1947, and later listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

He successfully diversified into real estate in 1987 when he set up another vehicle, Lai Sun Development.

Public service and philanthropy He is said to have made in excess of ¥700 million in donations to causes throughout China, of which Shantou's share was more than half. He has been a supporter of education in Hong Kong by setting up several schools.

He also donated to the University of Hong Kong's SARS Fund and helped to establish the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole. His support of the HKU Foundation and to the university in general over the years earned him an honorary fellowship in 2003. Lim also endowed an Eye Genetics Research Center (named after him) at the CUHK in 2004.

Lim was a Hong Kong Affairs Adviser to Beijing. He also served on the Preparatory Committee and Selection Committee of the SAR. He was a founding member of the Better Hong Kong Foundation. Lim was arrested by Taiwan's Bureau of Investigation on accusations that he offered NT$200 million in bribes to several officials of the Taipei County Land Administration Bureau, including its former director.

In 1999, he was found guilty on charges of bribery and money laundering through the land deals, but his prison sentence of 38 months was reduced by one year. His appeal of this conviction was still under consideration at the time of his death.

Personal At his death he remained legally married to his first wife, Lai Yuen-Fong.

His second wife, U Po-chu, is a 50-year veteran of the garment industry and is a non-executive director of Lai Sun Garment.

Death Lim died on 18 February 2005 at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam, from a lung infection; he was in his 90s.

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