Every time you turn on a light, cook in the oven or charge your mobile phone, you put a little bit of money in the pocket of Sir Michael Kadoorie, the world’s tiniest billionaire. Why is he so short, barely topping five feet? When he was a baby and a toddler Kadoorie was imprisoned with his parents Lawrence and Muriel in a Japanese concentration camp. He didn’t get the nutrition needed to grow big.
Kadoorie has quite a few compensations: ownership of 18 percent of China Light and Power, which supplies electricity to 80 per cent of Hong Kong’s people; a 47 per cent stake in Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, which has 10 luxury hotels and a market capitalisation of $9.81 billion; Metrojet with a fleet of Gulfstreams and Boeing business jets; Heliservices which operates MD902 Explorer Helicopters. These are businesses but Sir Michael also has a few toys: a Bugatti 57, 1932 Rolls Royce Phantom II, 1934 Hispano-Suiza J12, Lamborghini Miura, 1924 Vauxhall Tourer, Talbot Pourtout coupe, Rolls Royce Phantom 11 and a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. He is a helicopter pilot and has a net worth, according to Forbes, of US$6.8 billion.
Michael and Betty Kadoorie
The Kadoories are Mizrahi Jews, which means they are of Middle Eastern ancestry. They originated in Baghdad, later establishing themselves in Bombay, Shanghai, then Hong Kong. It was Michael Kadoorie’s grandfather Elly who moved the family’s seat to Shanghai. Elly made a fortune until the Communist takeover when most of the assets were lost, so they moved to Hong Kong. CLP was founded in 1901 by Sir Michael’s father and uncle Horace.
Sir Michael married a Cuban-American Betty Tamayo with whom he had three children, Natalie, Bettina and Philip. Betty died in 2021. The Kadoories have used some of their wealth for philanthropy, which is why he was knighted: a charitable foundation, educational and agricultural projects in Nepal and India, plus the admirable Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden which wanders up the hillside at Kadoorie Gap and looks after an eclectic collection of snakes, monkeys, birds and other animals.
Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden
Despite his status, Sir Michael is in no way snooty. When a waiter, also called Michael, retired from the HK Aviation Club, Sir Michael came to the cocktail party to wish him well.
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