Biography
Cheung was born in Guangdong province, and his family came to Hong Kong when he was four years old.
He acquired the nickname "Big Spender" for his love of lavish living. Cheung created a self-image for himself of a "likeable rogue with a heart of gold", and gave his friends and strangers gifts funded from a crime spree that brought in at least $2 billion.
He was said to be a charming man with a taste for fine food and liquor. He reportedly gave away tens of thousands dollars to a young street painter when in Bangkok. Just before he was arrested, he spent a month in a luxury hotel in Shenzhen during which he showered hotel staff with tips. Even in jail, he reportedly asked wardens for bird's nest soup.
Read more about this topic: Cheung Tze-keung
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