Money is not easy to make: Hong Kong's "wealthiest employees" (2)

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Wisdom on wealth

Two of the reasons why they are able to achieve the status of "Employee Emperors" are their effort and their wisdom. Canning Fok Kin-ning is a good example; his annual income hit 0.17 billion HKD in 2011 - more than his boss and his boss's son - and he was ranked by Forbes as the highest-earning CEO of a non-American based enterprise in the world.

The Hong Kong media commend Fok on the basis that his wealth stems from his wisdom. Fok's remarkable contribution to the Li Ka-shing family business was highly prized by Li, and he deserved to be rewarded.

Most of "Employee Emperors" dedicate their time, their ability - even their entire life - to their company. Their guiding principle is that "my boss's interests are also my own interests". They are a source of initiative and fresh ideas for their companies, and they help them to retain their positions of preeminence. Their generous salaries are a just reward for their talents.

Work hard to earn more

Making money is no easy matter; any sensible company wants to reward hard-working employees who make a substantial contribution with a high salary. Decent salaries offered to capable people are also an obvious way to attract new talent.

But the other side of the coin is a substantial population in Hong Kong living on very low incomes. Last year, the Hong Kong media calculated a comparison: a high-earning employee earns as much in an hour as an ordinary person will earn in two years. To reduce the gap between rich and poor, better job opportunities need to be provided. One sociologist has suggested that the government should provide more low-skilled positions to people with less schooling. We do believe hard work is the only way to better rewards.

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