Hong Kong’s Richest Man Pays $120,000 for Students’ Trip to Japan After Meeting at the Airport

A dance group composed of 45 children from Shanghai received a generous treat from billionaire Li Ka-Shing after bumping into him at an airport in Japan.

Members of the Little Pigeon Dancing Group and their teachers were on their way to a dance competition when they met Hong Kong’s richest man at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido last week, reports South China Morning Post.

One of the kids’ mothers, Zhang Zhuo, shared on social media that Li Ka-Shing was so happy about the meeting that he not only offered to pay for their trip but also to buy each one of them a gift.

“The children bumped into Mr. Li Ka-shing at the airport, who looked very pleased and volunteered to take pictures with the children,” Zhang Zhuo wrote on Weibo on Thursday.

“Today a staff member from the Li Ka Shing Foundation contacted the dance group and offered to sponsor the trip to Japan,” she added. “The children shot a video to wish him good health.”

According to one of the dance teachers, Li was “so pleased after seeing the children at the airport that he decided to sponsor for the trip.”

“So rich and generous, charitable and loving,” she noted.

While it was not reported how much Li donated exactly, he appears to have spent around $120,000 based on a post by another teacher who revealed that the trip cost 18,840 yuan ($2,700) per child. In addition to paying for the trip, the foundation also noted that the children will be receiving a gift of their choice.

Zhang shared that her daughter opted for an eraser, as it was something she wanted to buy.

“It is not about how expensive the gift is. It’s happiness that counts. We must know to be grateful and moderate,” she shared.

Originally from China’s Guangdong province, Li moved to Hong Kong as a child. The 91-year-old is currently worth $31.7 billion, making him the world’s 28th richest person, according to Fortune.

A known philanthropist, Li helped in establishing Shantou University in 1981. The Li Ka Shing Foundation has so far donated over 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) to support its development.

Featured image via Weibo

Share this Article