TechDigits

Tech news
Tuesday, Apr 16, 2024

Hong Kong's richest man holds an $11 billion stake in Zoom that makes up one-third of his total wealth

Hong Kong's richest man holds an $11 billion stake in Zoom that makes up one-third of his total wealth

Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong's richest man, currently holds an 8.6% stake in video-conferencing app Zoom, worth about $11 billion
Hong Kong's richest man, Li Ka-shing, currently holds an $11 billion stake in video-conferencing app Zoom Video Communications that makes up one-third of his wealth, according to Bloomberg.

The 92-year-old billionaire's share in the California-based company represents an 8.5% stake.

Often called "Superman" and Asia's answer to Warren Buffett, the ultra-wealthy businessman is best known for building some of the most iconic skyscrapers that dot Hong Kong's skyline.

Zoom has gained roughly 399% year-to-date through Tuesday's close. The company's shares skyrocketed 47% after it reported second-quarter earnings that exceeded Wall Street expectations.

Li's stake gained $3.2 billion within a single day, and he is now worth $32.6 billion, Bloomberg said. He first invested in Zoom in 2013, just two years after the company was launched.

Zoom said that at the end of the second quarter it had 370,200 customers and more than 10 employees - a 458% jump on the year. The company has become a preferred mode of communication during the coronavirus pandemic.

The billionaire's early bet on Zoom can partially be credited to Solina Chau, a long-time confidante, who co-founded his venture-investment arm Horizons Ventures in 2002, Bloomberg reported.

The venture capital firm was an early backer of Facebook, Spotify, Apple's digital assistant Siri, and plant-based meat manufacturer Impossible Foods.

In 2013 and 2015, Horizons Ventures participated in Zoom funding rounds. When the company went public in April 2019, Li's stake was worth about $850 million, the news agency said.

Li's returns on investments made through Horizon Ventures are assigned to his "third son," or his charity, called the Li Ka Shing Foundation.

In 2006, he allocated one-third of his wealth, or over $9 billion, into the foundation.

Li's listed flagship conglomerates, CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings, have struggled amid the pandemic and Hong Kong protests as they reported sharp declines in first-half results of the year.

COVID-19 weighed heavily on both companies' energy, ports, retail, and property operations.
Newsletter

Related Articles

TechDigits
0:00
0:00
Close
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The future of sports
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
UK Crypto and Stablecoin Regulations Become Law as Royal Assent is Granted
A Delaware city wants to let businesses vote in its elections
Alef Aeronautics Achieves Historic Milestone with Flight Certification for World's First Flying Car
Google Blocked Access to Canadian News in Response to New Legislation
French Politicians Advocate for Pan-European Regulation on Social Media Influencers
Melinda French Gates Advocates for Increased Female Representation in AI to Prevent Bias
Snapchat+ gains 4 million paying subscribers in its first year
Apple Makes History as the First Public Company Valued at $3 Trillion
Elon Musk Implements Twitter Limits to Tackle Data Scraping, but Faces Criticism for Technical Misunderstanding
EU and UK's Slow Electric Vehicle Adoption Raises Questions About the Transition to Green Mobility
Top Companies Express Concerns Over Europe's Proposed AI Law, Citing Competitiveness and Investment Risks
Meta Unveils Insights on AI Usage in Facebook and Instagram, Amid Growing Calls for Transparency
Crypto Scams Against Seniors Soar by 78% in 2022, Experts Urge Vigilance
The End of an Era: National Geographic Dismisses Last of Its Staff Writers
Shield Your Wallet: The Perils of Wireless Credit Card Theft
Harvard Scientist Who Studies Honesty Accused Of Data Fraud, Put On Leave
Putting an End to the Subscription Snare: The Battle Against Unwitting Commitments
The Legal Perils of AI: Lawyer Faces Sanctions for Relying on Fictional Cases Generated by Chatbot
ChatGPT’s "Grandma Exploit": Ingenious Hack Exposes Loophole in AI, Generates Free Software Codes
The Disney Downturn: A Near Billion-Dollar Box Office Blow for the House of Mouse
A Digital Showdown: Canada Challenges Tech Giants with The Online News Act, Meta Strikes Back
Distress in the Depths: Submersible and Passengers Missing in Titanic Wreckage Expedition
Mark Zuckerberg stealing another idea: Twitter
European Union's AI Regulations Risk Self-Sabotage, Cautions smart and brave Venture Capitalist Joe Lonsdale
Nvidia GPUs are so hard to get that rich venture capitalists are buying them for the startups they invest in
Chinese car exports surge
Reddit Blackout: Thousands of Communities Protest "Ludicrous" Pricing Changes
Nvidia Joins Tech Giants as First Chipmaker to Reach $1 Trillion Valuation
AI ‘extinction’ should be same priority as nuclear war – experts
×