Why He's No. 40

When Li is not busy pulling off deals worth billions of dollars, he is actively involved in a myriad of non-governmental organizations.

Li acts as the Governor of the World Economic Forum for Information Technologies and Telecommunications. He also is an active member of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the International Advisory Board of the Center for International Development, the Global Information Infrastructure Commission, and the United Nations Information and Communication Technology Advisory Group.

Li isn't all work and no play; he is an avid scuba diver and a licensed jet pilot in addition to being a Canadian citizen. As a child, Richard Li studied violin, which is probably why he is a supporter of the arts and donated $1 million to the NAC Foundation -- Canada's National Arts Centre for the performing arts.

Back Stage

With Li's recent acquisition of the Hong Kong Economic Journal, it appears that he is interested in taking his career in an entirely new direction. Perhaps he has grown weary of running the telecommunications giant PCCW.

2007 looks like the year in which Richard Li becomes a newspaper publisher and maybe this is merely the precursor to Li becoming a media baron rivaling Rupert Murdoch. Given what Li's already managed at age 39, and his father's virtually unilateral support, anything seems possible.

Forcaste

Richard Li is an investor and businessman who has brokered some of China's most amazing deals. Forbes magazine has reported Richard Li's net worth in the range of $1.1 billion, which ranks him among the richest men in the world. He is also the youngest son of Li Ka-shing, who is, according to Forbes, the richest man of Chinese decent with an estimated net worth of $18.8 billion.

In 1991, Richard Li borrowed $250 million from his father to launch the StarTV satellite outfit. Li sold StarTV to Rupert Murdoch in 1995 for a cool $950 million, which he used to start Pacific Century Group, and to finance his investments in technology, real estate and financial services.

Currently, Li runs PCCW (formerly Pacific Century Cyber Works Ltd.), Hong Kong's largest telecommunications operator. Additionally, PCCW is the world's largest provider of Internet Protocol TV with more than 500,000 subscribers. Helping launch PCCW as one of the largest corporations in Hong Kong was the 2000 purchase of Cable & Wireless HKT for $28 billion.

Among his real estate ventures is his 55% ownership of the $400 million Marunouchi building in Tokyo.

In August 2006, Richard Li paid $32.1 million for a 50% stake in the Chinese business paper, Hong Kong Economic Journal.