Josie Ho pursued a career in show business although her parents were against it at first. Photo: Screengrab from Neng Liang Media/YouTube
Hong Kong singer Josie Ho, the daughter of late Macau casino king Stanley Ho, has opened up about the allocation of her father’s estate.
Following Stanley’s death at the age of 98 in 2020, there has been much hullabaloo over the distribution of his billion-dollar assets.
Reports suggest that Stanley established a family trust which his 17 children – born to four different wives – would each receive a monthly six-figure sum.
Speaking on the Chinese talk show A Day With Luyu, Josie, 49, revealed that her father had split his wealth “fairly”.
As for her portion of the inheritance, the singer shared: “Of course, it is less than my siblings who joined the family business, but it is enough for me to live comfortably.”
Josie, born to Stanley’s second wife Lucina Laam, has three older sisters and a younger brother – Pansy, 61, Daisy, 60, Maisy, 57, and Lawrence, 48.
Daisy and Maisy are executive directors at property developer Shun Tak Holdings while Lawrence chairs Melco International Development.
Pansy, the eldest of the five, is arguably the most successful among Stanley’s 17 children.
Following the tycoon’s passing, Pansy took over a significant portion of her father’s empire and has a net worth of US$3.9bil (RM18.5bil), according to Forbes.
When asked if Pansy would neglect her if the latter’s financial resources were to dwindle, Josie responded: “As long as I don’t starve, she is satisfied. I have to fend for myself.”
Josie is the only one among her four siblings who went against her parents’ wishes to join the family business and pursued a career in the entertainment scene.
According to Josie, her parents did not want her to enter show business as she was rebellious.
“They were afraid I would offend many people,” she said.
With the support of Pansy, Josie eventually convinced her father to let her become a singer.
In 1994, she released her debut album Rebellion, followed by the 1996 Cantopop title Ho Ka Suk Nui, which earned her the best new artiste prize at the RHTK Top Gold Songs Awards.
Josie also went into acting and has clinched several accolades – including best supporting actress at the 2004 Hong Kong Film Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 Hawaii International Film Festival.
In 2003, she married actor Conroy Chan, 51, in Australia. Stanley had reportedly prepared a dowry worth HK$20mil (RM12mil) for the wedding.
During the show, Josie shared her father’s criteria for a son-in-law.
“He has to be handsome and not too short. My father told me he (Chan) is very kind but a little slow which is good. He said that it is better not to have someone who is too smart,” she joked.
