IN SHORT

Simon Ip’s is an unorthodox story of hard work and good luck, an affirmation that great things often come through unconventional routes. Rising to prominence in a field that is traditionally reserved for university graduates, without ever attending university, he took on various roles through which he helped shape Hong Kong and is now focusing on transformative philanthropy. Characteristically, his attitude to his career is low key: “It’s been a combination of hard work, fate, luck and providence,” he says. “Whenever I was given a job, I did it to the best of my ability. The rest just followed.”