What Hong Kong salarymen can learn from Li Ka Shing

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported Hong Kong's richest man, Li Ka Shing, will step down next year as the chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings. Superman Li has yet to confirm the details of his retirement, but it is never too late to learn from the great ones.

The team at TOPick compiled a list of five personal habits of Li that have driven his success. Some might not agree with how he runs his business empire, but there is no question these five tips constitute solid career advice for any Hongkonger.

1.  Continuous learning It is no secret that Li never had the chance to receive a proper education and began working in a factory at the age of 15 to help support his family. But he is a relentless learner. He watches BBC news for 15 to 30 minutes every night and reads the the subtitles aloud to brush up on his English.

He also listens to the news early every morning before heading out to play golf.

2. Saturday is always a rest dayLi never goes to the office on a Saturday because this is the time to put work aside and evaluate in-depth some of the important business decisions he has made.

3. Keeping up with the timesLi is known for his investment in esports platforms, an up-and-coming business. In May, Li Ka Shing Foundation's blog on Weibo featured Li taking notes as he listened attentively to Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman, co-founders of AI company DeepMind and developers of AI computer program AlphaGo, sharing insights on the development of artificial intelligence.

4. Sets his the watch to be 30 minutes fast This is Li's secret to never being late. With a 30 minute buffer, he can get to appointments on time despite running into unexpected trouble.

5. Lead a simple lifeWhile staying in a mansion with a private pool and garden does not sound like a leading a simple life, Li happens to be very humble in his choice of watches. He has been wearing a Citizen watch valued at approximately HK$3,100 since 2013.

He explained by wearing such a "cheap" time piece, he doesn't have to worry about breaking it. He would have to be much more careful when he plays golf or works out if he is wearing a pricey watch.

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