Li Ka-shing - Philanthropy

Philanthropy

Li is a noted philanthropist. In 2006, Li pledged to donate one-third of his fortune to charity and philanthropic projects throughout the world – a pledge estimated at over US$10 billion.

• His donation in 1981 resulted in the founding of Shantou University, near his hometown of Chaozhou.

• Li was invited by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to become a member of the board of directors of the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC) to support the economic reform initiatives that Deng was attempting to develop. CITIC is China's largest conglomerate and is 42 percent owned by the government of China. It serves as the chief investment arm of China's central government and holds ministry status on the Chinese State Council. Li served only one year on CITIC's board before resigning his directorship. He was the non-executive director of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation since 1980 and became Deputy Chairman of the bank in 1985. He was also Deputy Chairman of HSBC Holdings in 1991–1992.

• In September 2001, the newest tower in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University was named after Li, following a HK$100 million donation to the University.

• The Li Ka Shing Centre in Cambridge, England, houses a Cancer Research UK facility with strong links to the University of Cambridge. The Centre was named after Mr Li following a £5.3 million donation, and was opened in his presence in May 2002. The Li Ka Shing Foundation endowed a professorship of oncology at the university in 2007 with a subsequent gift of £2 million.

• In November, 2002, the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in China was founded with a large donation from the Li Ka Shing Foundation.

• The Li Ka Shing Library at the Singapore Management University is also named in his honour after a US$11.5 million donation in 2002 to the higher education institution.

• After the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake disaster, he reportedly pledged a total of US$3 million.

• In 2005, Li announced a HK$1 billion (US$128 million) donation to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong. It was renamed to Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine on 1 January 2006, which provoked controversy between the university and a few alumni of the faculty, notably Kwok Ka Ki, over the university's naming procedures.

• Also in 2005, Li donated US$40 million to the University of California, Berkeley, citing that he was impressed with the university's accomplishments in the biosciences. In recognition of Li's donation, the university has named the campus' new biosciences facility the Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences.

• A long-time supporter of Stanford University since the 1980s, Li is the principal benefactor to the new US$90 million Li Ka-shing Center for Learning and Knowledge, part of the School of Medicine.

• On 9 March 2007, Li Ka-shing contributed $100 million to the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in the National University of Singapore. Also, "to honour and recognise Dr Li's support and generosity, LKY SPP will name one of its three buildings at the historic Bukit Timah Campus after him".

• Li Ka-shing donated C$25 million to St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto to found the Li Ka-Shing Knowledge Institute, which will serve as a medical research and education centre in downtown Toronto.

• Li Ka-shing donated C$28 million to the University of Alberta to found the Li Ka-shing Institute of Virology.
• Li Ka-shing (through the Li Ka-shing foundation) donated HK$30 million (US$3.85 million) to aid relief efforts in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

To date, Li has given away well over US$1 billion in philanthropy via his Li Ka-Shing Foundation and other private charitable foundations