FORBES ASIASIDELINES
W
hen Li Ka-shing
pulled back last
month from active
management of his corporate
empire, it was a symbolic mo-
ment felt all over Asia. Near 90,
he is probably the most identii-
able face of the generation that
put regional business on the
global map ater the war years of
the mid-20th century.
hat cohort has begun passing
from the scene, but only ater a very long run. Indeed, of the top 10 names on each of
our 12 Asia-Paciic wealth lists, 28 are 80 or above. (Others of them have also retired
from day-to-day operations.) he average of these 120 listings is a ripe old 68.
Time is catching up with them, as it does with us all. hat’s one reason that some
years ago we began a feature called he Next Tycoons, to introduce the ofspring who are
likely to step into what are usually founders’ shoes. (Sometimes those are grandfathers’
shoes.) We continue the series on page 50 with Allen Law of the Park Hotel Group.
“Superman” Li’s charted succession, to his elder son, Victor, is ordered and tradi-
tional. (I could have predicted as much from spending time with the man for a 2007
cover article.) Not always do family sagas turn out so predictably, and of course that
can hold storytelling drama for us. Increasingly, the spotlight is moving to daughters,
one of the great Asian transitions of our era.
Each midyear, Forbes Asia assembles a big group of actual or prospective succes-
sors to discuss their ambitions and apprehensions. hese private Next Tycoon forums
are of the record, but they help inform me at least of the state of play in Asia’s notable
family enterprises, which I hope then makes for richer magazine material.
Ultimately, it’s the tycoons themselves, of any age, who make for interesting Forbes
copy. he “head knocker’s” life is oten mirrored in the business results. Li Ka-shing’s
remarkable rise will be a tough act to follow, and I don’t just mean for Victor.Changing of the Guard
Tim Ferguson
Editor, forbes asia
[email protected] REUTERS/BOBBY YIP8 | FORBES ASIA APRIL 2018FORBES MAGAZINE
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Randall Lane
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Michael Noer
ART & DESIGN DIRECTOR Robert Manseld
FORBES DIGITAL
VP, INVESTING EDITOR Matt Schifrin
VP, DIGITAL EDITOR Mark Coatney
VP, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Salah Zalatimo
VP, WOMEN’S DIGITAL NETWORK Christina Vuleta
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS
Frederick E. Allen LEADERSHIP
Loren Feldman ENTREPRENEURS
Janet Novack WASHINGTON
Michael K. Ozanian SPORTSMONEY
DEPARTMENT HEADS
Mark Decker, John Dobosz, Clay Thurmond
Jessica Bohrer VP, EDITORIAL COUNSEL
FOUNDED IN 1917
B.C. Forbes, Editor-in-Chief (1917-54)
Malcolm S. Forbes, Editor-in-Chief (1954-90)
James W. Michaels, Editor (1961-99)
William Baldwin, Editor (1999-2010)
Editor Tim W. Ferguson
Editorial Director Karl Shmavonian
Art Director Charles Brucaliere
Senior Editor John Koppisch
Wealth Lists Editors Luisa Kroll, Kerry A. Dolan
Photo Editor Michele Hadlow
Statistics Editor Andrea Murphy
Research Director Sue Radlauer
Online Editor Jasmine Smith
Reporter Grace Chung
Interns Prisca Ang, Anis Shakirah Mohd Muslimin
Editorial Bureaus
Beijing Yue Wang
Shanghai Russell Flannery (Senior Ed.); Maggie Chen
India Editor Naazneen Karmali
Contributing Editors
Bangkok Suzanne Nam
Chennai Anuradha Raghunathan
Hong Kong Shu-Ching Jean Chen
Jakarta Justin Doebele
Melbourne Lucinda Schmidt
Perth Tim Treadgold
Singapore Jane A. Peterson
Taipei Joyce Huang
Vietnam Lan Anh Nguyen
Columnist Ben Sin
Production Manager Michelle Ciulla
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Steve ForbesSuperman bids farewell to the daily grind.