Joseph Lau Net Worth

Joseph Lau has an estimated net worth of $14.2 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Joseph Lau profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $16.9 billion.

Joseph Lau is a Hong Kong businessman best known as the former chairman of Chinese Estates. He first built his own company, Evergo Industrial Enterprise, in 1978. After an initial public offering in 1983, he changed Evergo’s focus in 1985 toward investment holding and property management. In 1986, he used Evergo to buy a 43% stake in Chinese Estates, a move that became the center of his fortune.

From there, Lau expanded through property deals and a large real estate portfolio in Hong Kong. Chinese Estates also pushed into Mainland China in 1988 with projects in Beijing, and later took a major interest in Kwong Sang Hong in 1998. The group developed The ONE, a tall retail complex in Hong Kong that opened in 2010. Beyond property, his wealth includes major art holdings and a well-known wine collection.

How Joseph Lau built his wealth

Lau’s money comes mainly from real estate. He took control of Chinese Estates in 1986 after acquiring most of the company, and Forbes says he owns a sizable portfolio of prime property in Hong Kong. Earlier in his career, he started Evergo in 1978, took it public in 1983, and shifted it toward investment holding and property management in 1985. Those moves set up his bigger property expansion.

His business interests widened over time. Under his leadership, Chinese Estates moved into Mainland China in 1988 through development work in Beijing. In 1998, the group also gained about 64.29% of Kwong Sang Hong through a 50:50 joint venture vehicle. Lau’s assets are not only buildings. Forbes says his wealth includes works by Warhol, Gauguin and Hockney worth at least $1 billion, alongside his property holdings.

Forbes net worth update

Forbes estimated Lau’s fortune at $16.9 billion in 2019. That moved down to $13.6 billion in 2021 and then to $13.1 billion in 2024. The business backdrop included a failed attempt to take Chinese Estates private in 2021, when the company’s investment in China Evergrande had $1 billion loss. His fortune is still tied closely to property values and the performance of holdings linked to Chinese Estates.

The Forbes estimate later moved higher again. It was $13.6 billion in 2025, then $14.3 billion on the 2026 Forbes World’s Billionaires List. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker put him at $14.2 billion. That number sits alongside a fortune built from Hong Kong real estate, Chinese Estates, and a valuable art collection that Forbes says includes pieces worth at least $1 billion.