Li Ka-shing Net Worth 2026: US$42–47 Billion (Estimated)

Q: Did Li Ka-shing die in 2026?

No. An October 2026 viral 'R.I.P.' claim was a hoax from Mediamass, a site that manufactures celebrity death hoaxes; its own page was updated to say 'This story seems to be false.'

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Li Ka-shing’s net worth is estimated between US$42 and US$47 billion as of October 2026, with Forbes’ Hong Kong’s 50 Richest 2026 figure of US$45.1 billion as the primary anchor — the list’s #1 spot in Hong Kong, up from US$38.9 billion in 2025. Unlike celebrity fortunes built on salaries, his wealth sits in one of Asia’s great conglomerate empires: ports, telecoms, retail, energy, and property, accumulated over nearly 70 years in business. (SCMP)

Last updated: October 2026.

Who is Li Ka-shing?

Li Ka-shing is the Hong Kong business magnate nicknamed “Superman,” founder of Cheung Kong and longtime chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings, who retired in May 2018 with his elder son Victor Li taking over. Born 29 July 1928 in Chaozhou, China, he fled to Hong Kong as a wartime refugee in 1940 and built his empire from a plastic-flower factory founded in 1950. Read his full story in Li Ka-shing’s biography.

How the money breaks down

Li’s wealth is conglomerate wealth — equity stakes across listed giants rather than a salary. The pillars, per SCMP and company reporting:

CK Hutchison Holdings — the flagship conglomerate (ports, telecoms, retail, infrastructure); the family’s core holding. A 60%+ surge in CK Hutchison shares drove the US$7.8 billion jump in his Forbes 2026 figure — the biggest dollar gain on the Hong Kong list. (SCMP)
Ports — Hutchison Ports, including the Port of Felixstowe; a proposed sale of global port assets to a BlackRock-led consortium (reported US$22.8B by SCMP, US$19B by AFP) collapsed after Beijing’s opposition. (SCMP)
Telecoms & retail — the “Three” mobile brand and A.S. Watson, Asia and Europe’s largest health-and-beauty retailer. (Wikipedia)
Energy — via the Husky Energy position built in the late 1980s, merged into Cenovus Energy in a C$23.6 billion all-stock deal in 2021; CK Hutchison plus a Li-family trust hold roughly 29–30% of Cenovus. On 5 October 2026 Cenovus agreed to acquire Athabasca Oil for C$5.7 billion — described by SCMP as Li’s “first major investment move… after a slew of asset sales.” (SCMP)
Property — CK Asset Holdings; the original wealth engine, bought contrarian-style during Hong Kong’s downturns from the 1960s onward. (Business Times)

Wealth timeline

1950 — Plastic flowers. Founds Cheung Kong Industries at 22, manufacturing plastic flowers in Hong Kong. (VnExpress)
1960s–1970s — Property contrarian. Buys Hong Kong property through downturns (notably the 1967 riots); Cheung Kong lists on HKEX in 1972. (Business Times)
1979 — The Hutchison coup. Buys control of Hutchison Whampoa from HSBC below book value — the deal that made him a conglomerate owner. (MalayMail)
1980s–2000s — Empire building. Expands into ports, telecoms (“Three”), retail (A.S. Watson), and Canadian energy (Husky).
2018 — Handover. Retires 10 May 2018; Victor Li takes the chairmanships. (Straits Times)
2025–2026 — Asset sales, then oil. Global asset sales including the collapsed BlackRock ports deal; October 2026’s Cenovus–Athabasca C$5.7B move marks the empire’s return to offense. (SCMP)

How this estimate was reached

Transparency is the point of this page. Here is exactly what the US$42–47 billion range rests on — and what it does not.

The anchor: Forbes Hong Kong’s 50 Richest 2026 — US$45.1 billion (published February 2026; #1 in Hong Kong, up from US$38.9B in 2025; snapshot based on stock prices and FX at market close 23 January 2026). This is the most-cited, most-recent single figure. (SCMP)
The range: US$42–47 billion. Forbes World’s Billionaires 2026 puts him at US$47 billion (42nd globally); the Bloomberg Billionaires Index had him at “more than US$42 billion” in January 2026 (via AFP; Bloomberg’s live page is paywalled, so this is the dated anchor, not a live figure). (Wikipedia; SpaceWar/AFP)
The Hurun cross-check. Hurun’s China Rich List 2025 lists Li with son Victor at 235 billion yuan (~US$33 billion at ~7.1 CNY/USD — conversion approximate), Hong Kong’s richest. Hurun counts the family unit differently than Forbes, so it sits below the range rather than inside it. (SCMP)
What we excluded. Aggregator pages claiming round figures with no methodology; the viral October 2026 “death” claim (a Mediamass-manufactured hoax, self-debunked on its own page). (Mediamass)
What the number depends on. These are list snapshots, not bank balances — the figure moves with CK Hutchison’s share price and the Hong Kong dollar. Treat any single number as a dated estimate, which is why we lead with the range.

FAQs about Li Ka-shing’s net worth

What is Li Ka-shing’s net worth?

Reputable 2026 estimates range from US$42 to US$47 billion. Forbes’ Hong Kong’s 50 Richest 2026 figure of US$45.1 billion is the primary anchor; Forbes’ World’s Billionaires 2026 lists US$47 billion.

How did Li Ka-shing make his money?

Over nearly 70 years: plastic manufacturing (1950s), Hong Kong property bought in downturns (1960s–70s), the 1979 Hutchison Whampoa takeover, then expansion into ports, telecoms, retail (A.S. Watson), energy, and infrastructure.

Is Li Ka-shing still the richest person in Hong Kong?

Yes — Forbes’ Hong Kong’s 50 Richest 2026 ranks him #1 at US$45.1 billion, with the list’s biggest dollar gain (+US$7.8 billion) on a CK Hutchison share surge.

What was the Cenovus–Athabasca deal?

On 5 October 2026, Cenovus Energy — ~29–30% held by CK Hutchison plus a Li-family trust — agreed to acquire Athabasca Oil for C$5.7 billion (~US$4 billion), described as Li’s first major investment move after a wave of global asset sales.

Did Li Ka-shing die in 2026?

No. An October 2026 viral “R.I.P.” claim was a hoax from Mediamass, a site that manufactures celebrity death hoaxes; its own page was updated to say “This story seems to be false.”