Renowned Hong Kong singer-actor Andy Lau may be one of the most successful artistes in the Chinese entertainment industry, but his journey to get there wasn’t without its struggles.
Recently, film producer Tiffany Chen – wife of film mogul Charles Heung – revealed that Lau, 63, nearly became bankrupt after a series of failed business ventures.
“He started multiple companies, but none of them worked out. At the time, he didn’t want to be an actor. He also wanted to prove himself in business,” she said.
Chen, 65, shared that Lau invested in producing several films during his early entrepreneurial years, though most fell short of expectations.
In the end, he was left facing HK$40mil (RM21.7mil) in unpaid debts – a sum so large that giving up the portion of shares from his company still wasn’t enough to settle what he owed.
Seeking advice, Lau turned to Chen, who stepped in without hesitation to lend him the money.
“There was no official IOU (an informal document acknowledging debt). I told him to take the money first, and we would sort out the details later,” Chen said.
She then shared a funny anecdote about the unexpected aftermath of helping Lau.
“After he publicly acknowledged that I lent him money, I started getting calls from friends jokingly asking if they could borrow money too.
"I was overwhelmed and asked Andy what was going on. He just laughed and said he never expected that to happen,” she recalled.
Chen also commended Lau for remaining grounded even after finding fame, emphasising his generosity and loyalty.
“He never forgets those who once helped him. Over the years, I’ve heard many stories of people he quietly supported, even when he never spoke about it himself,” she said.
