• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money

2

Gen Zers are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates

3

I've sold property on California's Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle

1

'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money

2

Gen Zers are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates

3

I've sold property on California's Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
TechZoom

The richest man in Hong Kong’s early bet on Zoom is paying out in the billions

By
Venus Feng
Venus Feng
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Venus Feng
Venus Feng
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 9, 2020, 4:13 PM ET

Subscribe to Outbreak, a daily roundup of stories on the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on global business, delivered free to your inbox.

Li Ka-shing built Hong Kong’s biggest fortune on old-fashioned real estate and infrastructure. It’s a bet on technology that’s paying off in the current crisis.

Li, called “Superman” by his admirers, was an early investor in Zoom Video Communications Inc. and owns about 8.6% of the San Jose-based company, according to regulatory filings. The value of Li’s stake has surged 80% this year to $2.9 billion—the only public holding of his tracked by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index to record a gain. His overall fortune is down about $5 billion to $26 billion this year after Hong Kong was hit by protests and the coronavirus pandemic.

The 91-year-old owns Zoom through three investment vehicles, according to the filings. Horizons Ventures, which manages Li’s venture investments, led a $6.5 million series B round funding in the video conferencing company in 2013 and participated in a $30 million series C round two years later, according to the company’s website. His stake was worth about $850 million when Zoom started publicly trading in the U.S. in April 2019.

The company’s teleconferencing software has become an essential tool for millions at a time when much of the world is socially distancing to blunt the toll of the COVID-19 virus. Zoom’s share price has soared as the homebound use it for everything from work conferences to Passover meals to happy hours, though it has recently given back some of those gains over privacy concerns.

Li isn’t the only person benefiting from the Zoom boom. Founder Eric Yuan is now worth $6.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg ranking. Former Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang was another early investor. David Bonderman’s family office, Wildcat Capital Management, jumped in at the end of last year, regulatory filings show, before Zoom stock skyrocketed.

Some of Li’s other companies are helping boost Zoom’s user base. 3 Hong Kong, the mobile arm of his Hutchison Telecommunications, donated backpacks that included free “Zoom Classrooms” to hundreds of Hong Kong schools, the company said in a March 18 statement.

Must-read finance coverage from Fortune:

—What to do if you can’t pay your bills this month
—Everything you need to know about the coronavirus stimulus checks
—Everything you need to know about mortgage forbearance and skipping payments
—Everything you need to know about furloughs and what they mean for workers
—Everything you need to know about the new 401(k) no-penalty withdrawals
—Listen to Leadership Next, a Fortune podcast examining the evolving role of CEO
—VIDEO: 401(k) withdrawal penalties waived for anyone hurt by COVID-19

Subscribe to Fortune’s Bull Sheet for no-nonsense finance news and analysis daily.

About the Authors
By Venus Feng
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bloomberg
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

‘We didn’t see this coming’: Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
EconomyMarkets
‘We didn’t see this coming’: Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
By Jim EdwardsJune 8, 2026
2 hours ago
Tech leaders are moving beyond AI hype: Here’s what’s actually working
EuropeLeadership
Tech leaders are moving beyond AI hype: Here’s what’s actually working
By Francesca CassidyJune 8, 2026
3 hours ago
‘Yet another way in which 2026 is looking like 1999’: Top analyst fears bubble popping with investors and Wall Street out over their skis
Investingtech stocks
‘Yet another way in which 2026 is looking like 1999’: Top analyst fears bubble popping with investors and Wall Street out over their skis
By Nick LichtenbergJune 8, 2026
6 hours ago
Markets face triple threat of Iran war reigniting, AI bubble popping, and Fed rates rising while epic SpaceX IPO could fuel even more chaos
Investingtech stocks
Markets face triple threat of Iran war reigniting, AI bubble popping, and Fed rates rising while epic SpaceX IPO could fuel even more chaos
By Jason MaJune 7, 2026
13 hours ago
Nvidia’s CEO says new Vera chip will use SK Hynix’s memory chips
Big TechChips
Nvidia’s CEO says new Vera chip will use SK Hynix’s memory chips
By Yoolim Lee and BloombergJune 7, 2026
14 hours ago
SpaceX’s IPO will also be a massive selling event triggering big price dislocations across the stock market as investors dump shares to buy SPCX
InvestingIPOs
SpaceX’s IPO will also be a massive selling event triggering big price dislocations across the stock market as investors dump shares to buy SPCX
By Jason MaJune 7, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
Economy
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
By Nick LichtenbergJune 7, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Zers are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
22 hours ago
I've sold property on California's Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
Commentary
I've sold property on California's Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
By Lindsey HarnJune 6, 2026
2 days ago
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
AI
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
3 days ago
Trump stunned as stocks fall on great jobs report. Barclays explains why ‘we are entering the warning zone'
Big Tech
Trump stunned as stocks fall on great jobs report. Barclays explains why ‘we are entering the warning zone'
By Eva RoytburgJune 7, 2026
19 hours ago
The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
Energy
The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.