No Regrets
The PEAK Hong Kong|November 2016

In his youth, Bernard Chan endured a life threatening health condition that required extended stays in hospital. The result is a determination to live his life meaningfully.

Stuart Heaver
No Regrets

When Bernard Charnwut Chan sold Asia Commercial Bank in 2006 for a reported HK$4.5 billion, it was the second largest financial services takeover in the history of Hong Kong. Despite the shrewdly timed exit, Chan still regards himself as a banker who is following proudly in the footsteps of his illustrious grandfather, Chin Sophonpanich, the founder of Bangkok bank – one of Asia's biggest regional banks.

Chin represented the classic Chinese rags-to riches saga, arriving in Thailand as a labourer from Chaozhou city and building an international business empire brick by brick, by addressing the financial needs of the growing Chinese diaspora in Thailand.

"Growing up in Hong Kong I was very much aware of my grandfather’s legacy and how he built the Bangkok Bank," says Chan, whose family still dominate banking and financial services in Thailand.

An impressive bronze bust of the family patriarch, who died in 1988, overlooks the opulently appointed offices of Asia Financial Services, which occupies the 16th floor of Worldwide House in Central Hong Kong. Chan moved his offices to this building (which he purchased “for about HK$20 million, I think”) in 2006, after the sale of the bank, and he casually remarks that the floor above this one recently sold for HK$509 million.

“It is typical Hong Kong. Even if your core businesses are struggling a little, if you bought property years ago, [they] will still make loads of money,” he says in passing.

The Wall Street Journal once wrote of his family and their influence in Asian financial affairs. “For two generations, one family has towered over Thailand's economy. Few who invest in the country can sidestep the banking, insurance and securities network controlled by the Sophonpanich clan," intoned the newspaper in 1998 – and not much has changed since.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2016-Ausgabe von The PEAK Hong Kong.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2016-Ausgabe von The PEAK Hong Kong.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS THE PEAK HONG KONGAlle anzeigen
Supercar Condos
The PEAK Hong Kong

Supercar Condos

This new property project is set to be the perfect spot for elite supercar owners to store and show off their rides. 

time-read
1 min  |
October 2017
New Gear
The PEAK Hong Kong

New Gear

Lamborghini unveils an upgraded supercar that boasts breathtaking performance with open-air driving thrills.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2017
Aquatic Timekeeper
The PEAK Hong Kong

Aquatic Timekeeper

As a nod to the futuristic glass bathysphere from The Abyss, this timepiece raises the bar for horological aesthetics by marrying abstract visual concepts with mechanical wonders.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2017
A New Way To Do Business
The PEAK Hong Kong

A New Way To Do Business

Attracting and retaining a creative workforce is a perpetual challenge. The answer may lie in B Corps, a certification process that’s focused on the societal impact a company has.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
October 2017
Circular Opportunities
The PEAK Hong Kong

Circular Opportunities

Why Hong Kong companies should start turning their waste into a supply source.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
October 2017
The Game Changer
The PEAK Hong Kong

The Game Changer

After years spent residing in Spain, Paris and the US, Northacre CEO Niccolò Barattieri di San Pietro now has his eyes set on London. The forward-thinking property giant is aiming to restore the former glory back into historical developments in the British capital.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
October 2017
The Quiet Giant
The PEAK Hong Kong

The Quiet Giant

Dr Jonathan Choi wears a lot of hats and sobriquets as he heads up low profile conglomerate Sunwah Group. But with a rising tide of interest in ASEAN and a pending free trade deal, the quiet days may get a little noiser.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
October 2017
The Boutique Experience in Mexico City
The PEAK Hong Kong

The Boutique Experience in Mexico City

When it comes to Latin America, Mexico is Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner and the biggest buyer of Hong Kong exports.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
December 2016
Discovering the Dark Side
The PEAK Hong Kong

Discovering the Dark Side

Following a growth in the number of protected 'dark sky places' and stargazing travel destinations, all of which offer visitors increasingly luxurious ways to gaze in awe at the night sky, there has never been a more exciting time for astrotourism.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
December 2016
The Sparkle Makeover
The PEAK Hong Kong

The Sparkle Makeover

From cars to yachts, here's what one pioneering outfitter is doing to add bling to big ticket items.

time-read
1 min  |
December 2017