About an hour after the death of Stanley Ho, the billionaire who built the Chinese territory of Macao into the world’s biggest gambling hub, his large clan gathered in front of the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital to break the news. They were also there to send a clear message of unity.
The 98-year-old tycoon fathered 16 recognized children with four women he considered wives. Outside the hospital in front of cameras and journalists, it was Pansy Ho — the 57-year-old eldest daughter of his second wife — who was given the honor of announcing his passing as they flanked her.
Ho, a former socialite, is already chairman of one of Macao’s biggest conglomerates and co-chairman of casino operator MGM China Holdings Ltd., having become her father’s favored successor years ago.