What it's like living in Hong Kong as a billionaire, where the ultra-rich live in high-security mansions and spend $16 billion a year betting on horse racing
Hong Kong is a city full of super-rich people.
The dense metropolis of nearly 7.4 million people is a major port city and manufacturing and financial center.
Source: World Bank, Britannica
It has the highest concentration of ultra-wealthy individuals in the world, surpassing New York City, Tokyo, and Paris.
Source: Business Insider
One in every seven residents of the city is a millionaire, and at least 10,000 people are worth at least $30 million.
Source: Business Insider
One of these is Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong's richest resident, worth $29.3 billion. Ka-shing, who has been one of Asia's most influential businesspeople, stepped down as chairman of his company, CK Hutchison Holdings, in May 2018 at age 89.
Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma, worth $36.7 billion, is based in mainland China but is rumored to have bought a $191 million mansion in Hong Kong's most expensive neighborhood in 2015.
Source: Bloomberg, Business Insider
The Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey has ranked it the least affordable city for housing in the world for eight years in a row.
The average price for a home in Hong Kong was $1.28 million in the first quarter of 2018.
Source: South China Morning Post
While some Hong Kong residents pay up to $500,000 for tiny "nano apartments" and others live in "coffin homes," life looks very different for a billionaire in the city.
Source: Business Insider
The city's wealthiest inhabitants live in luxurious apartment buildings ...
... or secluded mansions in ritzy neighborhoods such as the Peak, the area that surrounds Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island.
Source: Business Insider
But the lucky few who actually live on the Peak experience a very different Hong Kong from everyone else.
Source: Business Insider
At an elevation of 1,811 feet, the Peak is nestled in greenery, overlooking the city and the harbor.
Source: Business Insider
It's said to be much cooler than the densely populated streets of the city.
Source: Business Insider
Security is tight in the neighborhood, and most homes are tucked away behind gated entrances.
Source: Business Insider
The Peak has long been Hong Kong's most exclusive neighborhood. Until 1947, only British and Europeans were allowed to live there.
Source: Business Insider
Some of Hong Kong's most extravagant and expensive homes can be found in the Peak. In March 2018, a buyer paid $178.4 million, or $19,400 per square foot, for a mansion in the Peak, making it the most expensive residential sale in all of Asia.
Source: Bloomberg
But another home in the neighborhood could shatter that record if it sells for its asking price of $446 million.
Source: Business Insider
The colonial-style home, built in 1991, is surprisingly modest, with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.
Source: Business Insider
One reason property prices are so high on the Peak is that homes there very rarely come onto the market, Koh Keng-shing, CEO of Landscope Christie's, a luxury real estate consultancy, told the South China Morning Post.
Source: South China Morning Post
Other wealthy Hong Kongers can be found living in Deep Water Bay, which Forbes called the world's wealthiest neighborhood in 2015.
Source: Forbes
The neighborhood is a "green oasis" where most homes have unobstructed sea views, according to real estate firm Savills.
Source: Savills
According to Forbes, 19 of the city's richest residents — including billionaire Li Ka-shing — lived there as of 2015 and have a combined net worth of $123 billion.
Source: Forbes
Christie's International Real Estate has four current listings in Deep Water Bay, including this four-bedroom mansion at 37 Island Road for $230.3 million.
But Hong Kong's elite don't just sit around in their mansions all day. You might find them shopping at one of Hong Kong's luxury shopping destinations.
The Landmark is a high-end shopping center in Central, Hong Kong's financial district, that includes Michelin-starred restaurants, Louis Vuitton's Asia flagship store, and shops such as Harvey Nichols and Tiffany.
Source: Discover Hong Kong
Then there's Canton Road, a major luxury shopping thoroughfare comparable to Fifth Avenue in New York City.
The street is lined with upscale boutiques, from Gucci and Marc Jacobs to Chanel and Dior.
When it comes to luxury goods and jewelry, Hong Kong is the second priciest Asian city after Shanghai, according to Bank Julius Baer & Co.'s annual Wealth Report Asia, which tracks the spending habits of Asia's rich.
Source: Bloomberg
Hong Kong's richest people still have to eat. Many of the city's business people, property magnates, politicians, and celebrities, choose to dine at a Cantonese restaurant nicknamed "the cafeteria for the wealthy" because of its rich and famous clientele.
Source: Business Insider
Fook Lam Moon is one of the most famous restaurants in Hong Kong, known for its impeccable food and service. A set dinner for 12 people can cost up to $4,000.
Source: Business Insider
You might also run into a billionaire at one of Hong Kong's 82 Michelin-starred restaurants, such as Sushi Shikon, where a dinner of six appetizers, 10 sushi pieces, a soup, and dessert costs $450 ...
Source: Michelin Guide
... or Caprice, a French restaurant in the Four Seasons Hong Kong, also triple starred, which Michelin calls "one of the most glamorous and elegant restaurants in Hong Kong" with "impressive views of the harbor."
Source: Michelin Guide
In a compact city with an efficient public transportation system, "cars are the ultimate reflection of indulgence in Hong Kong," according to the South China Morning Post. Hong Kong's wealthiest treat themselves to luxury vehicles such as Porsches, Lamborghinis, and Ferraris.
Source: South China Morning Post
"Clients in Hong Kong pursue personalized lifestyle, creating a truly bespoke car that represents their unique style, tastes and ambitions," Elaine Fong, Ferrari's Hong Kong marketing and public relations manager, told the Post.
Source: South China Morning Post
When it comes to nightlife, you might find some of the city's wealthiest individuals having a drink at the swanky lobby bar of the five-star InterContinental Hotel.
Source: InterContinental Hong Kong
It offers sweeping views of Victoria Harbor.
Another hotspot for business and finance magnates is Ozone, a bar perched at the top of Hong Kong's Ritz Carlton hotel that claims to be the highest in the world. According to World's Best Bars, Ozone is "a once in a life time kind of venue, so dress up, bring a well-stuffed wallet, and make some memories."
Source: World's Best Bars
A regular cocktail will cost you about $25, but Hong Kong's uber-rich may instead be buying the $850 Dom Pérignon Rosé or a $58 glass of Singleton 21-year-old whisky.
Source: Ritz Carlton
A select group of wealthy Hong Kongers hang out at one of the most exclusive members-only clubs, the Aberdeen Marina Club.
Source: South China Morning Post
The prestigious invitation-only club offers yacht maintenance services and facilities including badminton courts, bowling and swimming pools, and several restaurants ...
Source: South China Morning Post
It also appears to be a popular wedding venue, according to Instagram.
Some of Hong Kong's high rollers pass their time betting big money on horse races at the Happy Valley Racecourse.
Source: South China Morning Post
According to Bloomberg, "horse racing is something like a religion in Hong Kong, whose citizens bet more than anyone else on Earth."
Source: Bloomberg
During the 2017-2018 season alone, Hong Kong horse racing garnered $15.8 billion in bets.
Source: South China Morning Post
Seeing as "Asia is expected to experience the strongest growth" in the world among the ultra-wealthy in the next four years ...
... Hong Kong seems likely to remain a haven for the crazy rich for the foreseeable future.
Popular Right Now
Popular Keywords
Advertisement