{{Short description|Hong Kong billionaire (1929–2021)}} {{family name hatnote|Lee|lang=Chinese}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Lee Man Tat | native_name = {{nobold|李文達}} | native_name_lang = zh-hk | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date text|1929}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weekinchina.com/2019/03/lee-man-tat/|title=Lee Man-tat &#124;|date=1 March 2019|access-date=27 July 2021|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727101428/https://www.weekinchina.com/2019/03/lee-man-tat/|url-status=dead}}</ref> | birth_place = Macau | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|07|26|1929|df=y}} | death_place = | education = | occupation = Businessman | title = Chairman, Lee Kum Kee Group | term = | predecessor = | successor = | known for = | boards = | spouse = Married | children = 5 | parents = | relations = | website = }}

'''Lee Man Tat''' BBS (1929 – 26 July 2021, {{lang-zh|first=t,j|t=李文達|s=李文达|p=Lǐ Wéndá}}) was a Hong Kong billionaire and chairman of the family-owned Chinese sauce and condiment company Lee Kum Kee.<ref name="forbes1">{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/lee-man-tat/ |title=Lee Man Tat |work=Forbes.com |accessdate=27 July 2017}}</ref>

== Biography ==

Lee Man Tat was born in Macau in 1930, the eldest son of Lee Siu-nam and his wife.<ref name="TimesObit">{{cite web |title=Lee Man Tat obituary |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/lee-man-tat-obituary-5gt3xjjhc |website=The Times |access-date=2 August 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210730040831/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lee-man-tat-obituary-5gt3xjjhc |archive-date=30 July 2021 |date=30 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> He was the grandson of Lee Kum-sheung who invented oyster sauce and founded the Lee Kum Kee company in Zhuhai, China, in 1888.<ref name="ejinsight1">{{cite web|url=http://www.ejinsight.com/20161116-lee-kum-kee-the-family-grows-and-stays-together/ |title=Lee Kum Kee: The family grows and stays together |publisher=Ejinsight.com |date=16 November 2016 |accessdate=27 July 2017}}</ref>

Lee left school when he was 15 and worked for the family business in China until 1949 when the People's Republic of China was established, returning to Macau and moving into manufacturing.<ref name="TimesObit" /> He joined Lee Kum Kee, now based in Hong Kong, and took over the running of the company from his father in 1972, when he bought out his uncles with the help of his father.<ref name="TimesObit"/><ref name="ejinsight1" /> He expanded the company’s presence in North America, serving the Chinese diaspora, particularly in San Francisco, Vancouver, New York and the east coast of the United States.<ref name="TimesObit" /> In 1986, following a dispute over plans for the company, he bought his younger brother's 40% stake for HK$80 million.<ref name="TimesObit"/><ref name="ejinsight1" /> In 1992, Lee and his son, Sammy, diversified into health supplements forming LKK Health Products.<ref name="TimesObit" /> In 1995 and 1996, Lee opened a manufacturing plant and a production base in China, which became the company’s largest market.<ref name="TimesObit" /> According to ''Bloomberg Billionaires Index'', his wealth was estimated at US$17.9bn.<ref name="TimesObit" /><ref name=Bloomberg>{{cite web|title=Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Lee Man Tat|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/man-tat-lee/ |access-date=29 May 2021}}</ref> The family invested in property and in July 2017, LKK Health Products purchased London's landmark Walkie-Talkie building for £1.3 billion.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/jul/27/londons-walkie-talkie-building-sold-for-record-breaking-13bn|title=London's Walkie Talkie building sold for record-breaking £1.3bn|last=Butler|first=Sarah|date=27 July 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=3 August 2017|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name="BloombergObit" />

Lee married Choi May Ling in 1954 and had five children, all of whom joined the company, and lived in Hong Kong.<ref name="TimesObit" /><ref name="forbes1" /> He was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2018.<ref name="ForbesObit">{{cite web |last1=Burgos |first1=Jonathan |title=Hong Kong Billionaire Lee Man Tat, Known As 'Oyster Sauce King,' Dies At 91 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanburgos/2021/07/28/hong-kong-billionaire-lee-man-tat-known-as-oyster-sauce-king-dies-at-91/?sh=7e08fe8d2148 |website=Forbes |access-date=2 August 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210802125056/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanburgos/2021/07/28/hong-kong-billionaire-lee-man-tat-known-as-oyster-sauce-king-dies-at-91/?sh=7e08fe8d2148 |archive-date=2 August 2021 |date=28 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> He died on 26 July 2021.<ref name="BloombergObit">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-27/billionaire-lee-called-the-king-of-oyster-sauce-dies-at-91|title=Billionaire Lee, Called the 'King of Oyster Sauce,' Dies at 91|first=Venus|last=Feng|work=Bloomberg Television|date=27 July 2021|access-date=27 July 2021| url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210727161321/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-27/billionaire-lee-called-the-king-of-oyster-sauce-dies-at-91 |archive-date=27 July 2021}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Man Tat}} Category:1929 births Category:2021 deaths Category:Recipients of the Bronze Bauhinia Star Category:Hong Kong billionaires Category:Hong Kong businesspeople Category:Macau emigrants to Hong Kong