He inherited his fortune in 2018 following the death of his father, Walter Kwok. Today, he serves as a director at Empire Group Holdings, a property company his father founded.

From his wealthy background to his impressive education and work experience, here is a closer look at the young billionaire.

Jonathan Kwok (second from left), a director of Empire Group Holdings, with other executives of the firm. Photo courtesy of Empire Group Holdings

He is among the youngest billionaires in the world

Jonathan is among the youngest people to be named by Forbes in its World’s Billionaires List. This year, Jonathan ranked as the 1,462nd richest individual globally and, along with his older brother Geoffrey Kwok, the 18th richest in Hong Kong.

He was the sixth youngest billionaire in the world in 2020, alongside others like reality star Kylie Jenner, who topped the list that year.

He hails from one of the richest families in Hong Kong

Jonathan comes from the Kwok family, which controls Sun Hung Kai Properties, one of the city’s four major property developers.

His father was the eldest son of Kwok Tak-seng, who co-founded SHKP and helped grow the company into the giant it is today.

Walter once served as SHKP’s chairman and major shareholder before establishing Empire Group in 2010.

Jonathan and his brother inherited the stake in SHKP when their father passed away in 2018, instantly making them billionaires.

He has an impressive resume

Jonathan graduated from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and went on to gain experience at CSI Properties, a listed property investor, and CMB International Securities, according to the company website.

Since joining Empire, he has taken the lead in the firm’s real estate investments, project development and asset management.

He brings with him extensive knowledge of Hong Kong’s property market, along with experience in analyzing global investments and developing hotel projects.

His father was ousted from SHKP after a family feud

Walter was abducted by a local gang leader known as “Big Spender” in 1997 and subsequently released after his family paid around $80 million in ransom, according to Business Insider. The traumatic event reportedly led to Walter suffering from depression.

He was removed from SHKP in 2008 after 18 years as chairman by his younger brothers, Thomas and Raymond Kwok, who claimed his mental health issues had made him unfit to head the business.

Raymond Kwok Ping-Luen, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties, Walter Kwok Ping-sheung, Chairman and Chief Executive of Sun Hung Kai Properties, and Thomas Kwok Ping-Kwong, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties, are seen during a press conference in Hong Kong, China, 6 December 2007. Photo by Imaginechina via AFP

Walter rejected the accusations and took legal action against his brothers for libel. Raymond and Thomas eventually won control of the firm while Walter’s role in SHKP was downgraded to that of a non-executive director.

Kwong Siu-hing, their mother and the widow of Tak-seng, temporarily stepped in as the head of the firm following Walter’s ousting and later passed leadership to the other two brothers, who became co-chairmen in December 2011.

He works hard to honor his father’s legacy

Empire Group Holdings’ logo. Photo from the company’s LinkedIn

Despite their immense wealth, the younger generation of Kwoks has earned a reputation for working diligently to sustain and grow the family business in tribute to their late father, according to the South China Morning Post.

A symbolic example lies in Empire Group Holdings’ handwritten logo: the letter “E” was penned by founder Walter Kwok, while the remaining letters were completed by his sons in a gesture that reflects their commitment to upholding their father’s values.