After finishing his studies, Lee returned to Hong Kong to join Prudential Enterprise, the real estate company founded by his father and uncle in 1958. He took control of the entire business from his brother Lee Tak-Yan in 1985. Prudential Enterprises owns the Prudential Hotel in Hong Kong and has significant holdings in Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland and Singapore. In the UK, he purchased the 14 acre Langham Estate in London's Fitzrovia district in 1994. A real estate portfolio Lee indirectly established in Tokyo in 1999 was eventually sold in 2017 for approximately $1.2 billion. By 2019 Lee had become the largest shareholder in Shaftesbury plc a large London real estate investment trust with a 26.3 per cent stake. There had been persistent media speculation that Lee would eventually bid for control of Shaftesbury. However, his interest in the company was sold to Capco for $544 million in June 2020. Lee has been noted for his vigorous defence of his estate’s legal rights and business interests. In June 2019, The Times reported that Lee was suing Shaftesbury for £10.4 million in alleged losses over a share placing. According to Forbes, he had a net worth of $3.9 billion, as of February 2019.
Philanthropy
In 2007, Lee donated HK$9 million to Hong Kong's Diocesan Boys' School, of which he was a student between 1951 and 1958. The donation was made to fund residential student growth with a new dormitory block for the school. One of Lee's sons was studying at the school at that time. In 2015, Lee donated $118 million to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to be used to establish a real estate entrepreneurship lab focused on China. The lab has been researching the impact of poor urban air quality on residents' health, social lives and behaviour.
Personal life
Lee is married with seven children and lives between Hong Kong and London. He reportedly owns the yachts Pelorus and Kogo. The Lee family has a Boeing aircraft and a large car collection. Lee maintains a low profile and rarely speaks out about his many business dealings. According to media reports and court documents Lee has a colourful personal life. It is also rumoured that either him or one of his 7 children owns the world's most expensive car, the Rolls Royce Sweptail, costing around $12.8 million.
