A look back on the life of Walter Kwok
Walter Kwok, the former chairman and chief executive of Sun Hung Kai Properties, has passed away at the age of 68, according to a report in the SCMP.
One of three brothers, Walter was part of one of Hong Kong’s most powerful property families. Born in 1950, he took over the family business' top role when his father and founder of SHK, Kwok Tak-Seng, passed away in 1990.
In 1997, he suffered a kidnapping ordeal where he was held captive for seven days in a small hut in Fanling. His family eventually paid HK$600 million in ransom for his release to a gangster known as 'Big Spender'.
Although 'Big Spender' was captured and executed a year later in China, Walter has said that the ordeal caused him to suffer from depression.
In 2008, Walter was ousted from the family by his mother and started his own company, Empire Group Holdings in 2014.
