In a rare media interaction, Henry Cheng, chairman of New World Development's parent company, shared his family's investment philosophy, emphasizing that mutual benefit is more than words for Chow Tai Fook Enterprise (CTFE). Cheng stressed investing the right way by trusting professional teams and compounding value over time. His comments come amid scrutiny over the group's handling of New World Development's mounting debt, though he declined to comment on it.
Henry Cheng steers the family empire founded by his late father, Cheng Yu-tung. On January 19, 2026, in his first media statement in more than two years, Cheng told the South China Morning Post about the Cheng family's unusual investment playbook.
While all investors tout mutual benefit, Cheng said it goes beyond rhetoric for CTFE. The organization operates with the discipline of an institutional investment firm but follows the “Cheng family philosophy, not a typical investment playbook,” he noted.
“We should always invest the right way,” said Cheng. “Markets move, opportunities come and capital flows. We always trust the professional teams at our investees and focus on nurturing and compounding value over time for steady and continuous growth.”
On exiting deals, “we mustn’t aim to earn every penny,” he added. Instead, CTFE ensures “some positive social impact to the investee and the community,” leaving it as “a better company” and its staff “in a better place than before.”
CTFE's strategic investments span energy, hospitality, healthcare, and technology innovation across nearly 30 countries. As a private investment firm, its operations are inevitably linked to the group's diverse businesses, from real estate and hospitality to jewellery.
The statement comes as CTFE faces scrutiny over New World Development's mounting debt amid a years-long slump in Hong Kong and mainland China's property sectors. Cheng did not comment on NWD. Keywords like Alinta Energy, Pilbara, Singapore, Western Australia, China, APA Group, Covid-19 pandemic, Australia, and Sembcorp Industries highlight the empire's global reach.
