Nina Wang's fortune-teller lays claim to her estate
By Roland Lim, Channel NewsAsia's Hong Kong Correspondent | Posted: 20 April 2007 2005 hrs

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HONG KONG: The mystery man laying claim to the estate of late billionaire Nina Wang has revealed himself - Tony Chan, Mrs Wang's former fortune-teller.

Mrs Wang died from cancer earlier this month and left behind a personal fortune estimated to be worth over US$4 billion.

An intensely private man now out in the open - Hong Kong media have been busy scrambling to get a picture, any picture, of Mr Chan.

Lawyers supplied a rare photograph of Mr Tony Chan Chun-chuen standing beside Mrs Wang taken in the early '90s.

The 48-year old is married with three children and currently has a successful property trading business.

According to Mr Chan's lawyer, Mrs Wang willed her entire estate to him because he understood her the best.

Others have said that he was her most trusted feng-shui master.

"Mr Chan believes that he understood her philosophy, both personally and her philosophy in the running of her businesses. It's his understanding that she formed a view that it was appropriate that her businesses be run after her passing by one person in the sense she ran those businesses during her lifetime," says lawyer Jonathan Midgley of Haldanes.

There has been speculation that a protracted legal battle could lie ahead for the estate, as Mrs Wang's family - surnamed Kung - were reportedly unhappy about the latest revelation.

An earlier 2002 will bequeath her entire fortune to a charitable trust, instead of Mr Chan.

On Thursday, they filed a caveat with the Probate registry to claim their right to the estate.

"Unfortunately, certain sectors of the press have attributed hostile sentiment, attributed them to the Kung family and the hostilities were then directed to Mr Chan. We are told that this does not reflect the sentiments of the Kungs' and it does not reflect their views," says Midgley

In a further twist, there are even reports of a third will written just before her death, held by the family, although details of this has yet to be revealed.

Mrs Nina Wang in life captured the public's imagination with her eccentric lifestyle, miserly ways, and legal battle for control of her late husband's empire.

In death, it seems who her fortune will ultimately end up in the hands of will continue to be a regular feature here for some time to come. - CNA/yy