Ronnie Chan
{{Short description|Hong Kong businessman}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Family name hatnote|Chan|lang=Chinese}}
{{Western name order|Chan Chi-chung}}{{Infobox person
| pre-nominals = The Honourable
| name = Ronnie Chan
| post-nominals = {{post-nominals|country=HKG|GBM}}
| image = Ronnie C. Chan, Chairman, Hang Lung Properties.jpg
| caption = Ronnie Chan in 2009
| native_name = 陳啟宗
| birth_name = Chan Chi-chung
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1949}}
| birth_place = British Hong Kong
| nationality =
| education = California State University, Los Angeles (BS, MS)
University of Southern California (MBA)
| occupation = Property developer
| spouse = Barbara Chan
| children = 2
| parents = Chan Tseng-hsi{{cite web |url=https://www.tatlerasia.com/people/ronnie-chan |title=Ronnie C Chan, Chairman, Hang Lung Group |last= |first= |date= |website=Tatler Asia |publisher= |access-date=20 September 2024 |quote=}}
| relatives = Gerald Chan (brother)
}}
{{Chinese
| order = ts
| title = Ronnie Chan Chi-chung
| t = 陳啟宗
| s = 陈启宗
| j = can4 kai2 zung1
| p = Chén Qǐzōng
}}
Ronnie Chan Chi-chung {{post-nominals|country=HKG|GBM}} ({{zh|t=陳啟宗}}; born 1949) is a Hong Kong businessman.
Education
Chan earned bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from California State University, Los Angeles.{{cite web |title=Ronnie Chan |url= https://www.committee100.org/members/ronniechan/|access-date=19 February 2025}} He received an MBA from the University of Southern California in 1976.{{Cite web |url=http://www.apfn.org/ENRON/chan.htm |title=Ronnie C. Chan ENRON profile |access-date=11 November 2008 |archive-date=21 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221060101/http://www.apfn.org/ENRON/chan.htm |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.hanglung.com/en-US/home|title=HANG LUNG PROPERTIES|website=www.hanglung.com|access-date=24 June 2020|archive-date=23 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623164055/http://www.hanglung.com/en-US/home|url-status=live}}USC. Ronnie C. Chan. {{cite web|url=http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/specialevents/gc2011/bios/bioChan.php|title=usc.edu|accessdate=5 December 2016|archive-date=9 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809024233/http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/specialevents/gc2011/bios/bioChan.php|url-status=live}}
Chan was given honorary doctorates by Tel Aviv University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.Committee of 100. Member Roster. {{cite web|url=https://committee100.org/members/member-roster/|title=committee100.org|accessdate=5 December 2016|archive-date=12 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612053558/https://committee100.org/members/member-roster/|url-status=live}}
Career
In 1991, he became the chairman of Hang Lung Group and its subsidiary Hang Lung Properties. As of 2014, it was one of the largest real estate developers in Hong Kong.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-china-blog-29234909|title=Hong Kong's tycoon philanthropist Ronnie Chan|last=Liu|first=Juliana|date=19 September 2014|work=BBC News|access-date=16 February 2017|archive-date=17 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217064457/http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-china-blog-29234909|url-status=live}} He succeeded the chairman position in the companies from his uncle. He is also the vice-president of the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong, a co-chairman of the Asia Society and chairman of its Hong Kong Center, and an advisor to the China Development Research Foundation of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
He has served on the governing or advisory bodies of several think-tanks and universities, including China Foreign Affairs University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and his alma mater, the University of Southern California.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ineteconomics.org/research/experts/rchan|title=Ronnie Chan|website=Institute for New Economic Thinking|access-date=23 February 2017|archive-date=24 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224054211/https://www.ineteconomics.org/research/experts/rchan|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/12/08/ronnie-chan-dont-forget-chinas-problems/|title=Ronnie Chan: Don't Forget China's Problems|last=Staff|first=WSJ|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=23 February 2017|archive-date=24 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224132853/http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/12/08/ronnie-chan-dont-forget-chinas-problems/|url-status=live}}
He was a director of Enron Corporation and a member of its audit committee when it filed for bankruptcy as a result of fraud.{{cite web|url=http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudEnronCast.htm|title=Enron's Cast of Characters and Their Stock Sales|publisher=Trinity University|accessdate=19 March 2010|archive-date=1 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601201825/http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudEnronCast.htm|url-status=live}} In November 2009, he attended the Horasis Global China Business Meeting in Lisbon, where his criticisms of American financial policy garnered widespread attention.[http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/wealth-of-nations/2009/11/17/wall-street-s-ego-bubble.html "Wall Street's Ego Bubble"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722045340/http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/wealth-of-nations/2009/11/17/wall-street-s-ego-bubble.html |date=22 July 2010 }}, Newsweek, 17 November 2009
Political views
Through his companies' multiple votes on Hong Kong's democratic 'Election Committee', Chan supported Carrie Lam for the role of Chief Executive. But in 2019, during the massive protests that rocked the territory, he opined that having a civil servant in the role was the “most ridiculous thing” and that Lam's "unwise policies" had contributed to the unrest, which he emphasised was caused by political, not social, issues. He also supported Leung Chun-ying in the 2013 election for chief executive.[https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3032048/hong-kong-property-developer-ronnie-chan-calls-strong Property developer Ronnie Chan says Hong Kong needs a ‘strong, political leader’ to handle protest crisis and putting civil servants in charge is ‘the most ridiculous’ idea] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011032155/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3032048/hong-kong-property-developer-ronnie-chan-calls-strong |date=11 October 2019 }}, SCMP, 8 Oct 2019
He has stated that Hongkongers' "DNA is different from the mainlanders’ because many escaped from there" and blamed a lack of national identity for the protests.
Philanthropy
In 1996, Chan began providing yearly financial assistance to needy students at top universities in China.
In September 2014, Chan's family, through their Morningside Foundation,{{Cite web|url=http://www.morningside.com/philanthropy/|title=Philanthropy|website=www.morningside.com|access-date=27 December 2017|archive-date=21 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221064515/http://www.morningside.com/philanthropy/|url-status=live}} donated US$350 million and US$20 million to Harvard University and the University of Southern California, resulting in the naming of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, respectively.Tsang, Denise. Ronnie Chan: philanthropist taking charity through the roof. 22 September 2014. {{cite web
|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1597576/ronnie-chan-philanthropist-taking-charity-through-roof
|title=scmp.org
|date=22 September 2014
|accessdate=5 December 2016
|archive-date=7 May 2017
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507044601/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1597576/ronnie-chan-philanthropist-taking-charity-through-roof
|url-status=live
}}Raymond, Jessica. Chan family gift creates first named, endowed occupational therapy program in nation. 17 September 2014. {{cite web|url=https://news.usc.edu/68517/occupational-therapy-program-receives-naming-gift-from-chans/|title=usc.edu|date=17 September 2014 |accessdate=5 December 2016|archive-date=28 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328182454/http://news.usc.edu/68517/occupational-therapy-program-receives-naming-gift-from-chans/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://asiasociety.org/korea/conversation-ronnie-chan-philanthropy|title=Conversation with Ronnie Chan on Philanthropy|website=Asia Society|access-date=29 January 2018|archive-date=30 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130013818/https://asiasociety.org/korea/conversation-ronnie-chan-philanthropy|url-status=live}}
In 2021, a US$175 million gift was bestowed by Morningside on the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, which was subsequently renamed UMass Chan Medical School. The constituent schools were likewise renamed to the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, and the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.{{Cite web|url=https://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2021/09/university-of-massachusetts-announces-$175-million-transformational-gift-to-its-medical-school/|title=University of Massachusetts announces $175 million transformational gift to its Medical School|date=3 September 2021|website=UMass Chan Medical School|access-date=21 April 2022|archive-date=18 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118064015/https://umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2021/09/university-of-massachusetts-announces-$175-million-transformational-gift-to-its-medical-school/|url-status=live}}
Personal life
Chan's brother Gerald Chan is also a director of Hang Lung Group.{{cite web|date=28 January 2008|url=https://www.forbes.com/global/2008/0128/037a.html|title=Hong Kong's 40 Richest|work=Forbes|accessdate=5 December 2016|archive-date=19 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919213533/https://www.forbes.com/global/2008/0128/037a.html|url-status=live}}
Chan is married to Barbara Chan and has two sons.
In 2004, Chan's son Adriel Chan received his bachelor's degree in international relations from USC. Chan's other son Adley Chan earned his bachelor's degree in sociology, as well as bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in occupational therapy from USC.
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- [http://www.hanglung.com/en/hang-lung-group/corporate-governance/board-of-directors/profile-of-directors.aspx#ronnie%20 Chairman of Hang Lung Group Limited]
- [https://committee100.org/members/member-roster/ Committee of 100 Member Roster] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612053558/https://committee100.org/members/member-roster/ |date=12 June 2017 }}
- {{C-SPAN|53488}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Ronnie}}
Category:Hong Kong businesspeople
Category:Hong Kong chief executives
Category:Marshall School of Business alumni
Category:Members of the Committee of 100
Category:Hong Kong chairpersons of corporations
Category:Hong Kong corporate directors
Category:Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2007–2012
Category:Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2012–2017
Category:Alumni of St. Paul's Co-educational College