Francis Choi Chee-ming, GBS, JP (; born 1945) is a Hong Kong businessman and billionaire. As of March 2022, his net worth is estimated at US$8.1 billion. Choi is the founder and chairman of

Early Light International (Holdings) Ltd. Early Light International (Holdings) Ltd. (), through its subsidiary Early Light Industrial Co., Limited , is the largest manufacturer of toys in the world and a significant player in the consumer products sector. The company was founded by curr ...

, the largest manufacturer of toys in the world. He is nicknamed "the King of Toys".蔡志明：議會罵戰累死香港(sub-section)
''East Week'' (Hong Kong) Choi is self-made, having started his professional life as a toy salesman, and is ranked 11th on the ''Forbes'' list of Hong Kong's 50 richest people, and No.283 in the world in 2022.

Early life

Choi was born in Guangdong Province, but grew up in Hong Kong.

Career

In 1972, Choi was a 25-year-old toy salesman opened his first toy factory. Within five years, his business had grown to 300 employees. He began his relationship with toy giant,

Mattel, Inc. Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...

during his first decade in business. Before long, his company was manufacturing

Snoopy Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. He can also be found in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recog ...

merchandise for Mattel. Choi is a member of the

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, zh, 中国人民政治协商会议), also known as the People's PCC (, ) or simply the PCC (), is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of ...

. He is Chairman of Early Light International (Holdings) Ltd., the company he founded. He also owns sizeable stakes in listed companies Town Health International and

Regal Hotels International Regal Hotels International (RHI) is one of the largest hotel groups in Hong Kong. Regal Hotels International Holdings Limited is a company incorporated in Bermuda and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Ownership The company is controlled b ...

, as well as being vice-chairman of the Regal board. Choi is an avid watch collector, and also owns a chain of watch retailers.

Personal life

Choi has three children. He and his wife, live in Hong Kong. His daughter-in-law is model Irene Wang. Choi collects cars, watches and horses.

References

Living people 1945 births Hong Kong businesspeople Hong Kong billionaires Hong Kong chief executives Hong Kong racehorse owners and breeders Businesspeople from Guangdong Alumni of the University of Wales, Newport People from Jieyang Billionaires from Guangdong {{HongKong-business-bio-stub