Albert Yeung

Early years

Albert Yeung was born in Hong Kong in 1943 and traces his roots to Teochew (Chaozhou), Guangdong, China. His father, Mr Yeung Shing, opened a watch shop named "Shing On Kee Watch Shop" in 1942, setting the business foundation. In the 1960s his father lent him 200,000 yuan to start his watch business. In 1964, he opened his own watch shop, "Observatory Watch & Jewellery" on Nathan Road, Kowloon.

Two years after he opened his first shop, he obtained the distribution rights of Rolex and Omega watches and expanded his business to jewellery in 1966 and later on to other ventures. He was soon successful and became known as the "King of clocks and watches" (鐘錶大王).

Family background

Yeung has two sons and three daughters. His two sons and three daughters are also involved in business.

Yeung is the founder and chairman of the Emperor Group, a diversified group of listed companies that includes financial services, property, watch and jewellery, entertainment and films, hospitality, publishing and printing, furniture as well as catering.

Yeung was the Charter President of "Lion Club of South Kowloon" in 1976. In 2008, Yeung set up "Albert Yeung Sau Shing Charity Foundation", which is dedicated to supporting non-profit sports, as well as educational and cultural activities.

Yeung donated nearly $20 million to relieve efforts after the Sichuan earthquake of May 2008. To recognise Beijing Olympic gold medalists' contributions to sports development in China, he also awarded $12.6 million to the 63 athletes.

The Jackie Chan and Albert Yeung Charity Foundation, founded by Chan and Yeung, donated RMB 10 million to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the PRC as a special fund to support the relief efforts after the earthquake in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province in May 2008.

Perverting the course of public justice conviction (1979)

On 10 February 1979, jockey Tony Cruz (Chinese: 告東尼), his brother and two other persons had an argument in a car park in the New Territories with Wai Kin-bong, who was knocked unconscious and hospitalised until 28 February. Wai was then Director and general manager of Tin Tin Daily News. The paper's owner Lau Tin-chau asked Yeung, a common friend of both Cruz and Wai, to try to resolve the tension between the two. Yeung visited Wai in hospital and offered him a "very substantial sum" of money either "not to give evidence against Mr. Cruz or to give evidence that would not 'nail him down'". In circumstances where the magistrate found that Yeung had promised Wai he would "fix the police", Cruz was never charged. Yeung was convicted of perverting the course of justice and ultimately sentenced to nine months' imprisonment.

Insider dealing (1993)

After a ten-day trial, on 8 June 1998, High Court judge Mr Justice Burrell, sitting as the Chairman of the Insider Dealing Tribunal together with two members, found Yeung culpable of insider dealing in shares of his listed Emperor (China Concept) Investments Ltd in October 1993. He was ordered to pay a total of HK$20,693,433 in fines and costs.

Charged with criminal intimidation & false imprisonment (1994, acquitted 1995)

Yeung was acquitted after the case against him folded when five prosecution witnesses suffered amnesia, the first of whom told Magistrate Paul Kelly he did not want to give evidence against Yeung because he was "very frightened". The magistrate acquitted Yeung but said he "cannot, with the same assurance, declare justice has been done".