No 1. Li Ka-shing

$32 billion
Age 79 Marital Status Widowed, 2 children
Asia’s richest self-made billionaire. Through Hutchison Whampoa conglomerate, is world’s largest operator of container terminals, world’s largest health and beauty retailer. Sold stake in Indian mobile business for $11 billion in 2007.

No 2. Raymond, Thomas & Walter Kwok

$24 billion
Age 56/55/54 Marital Status NA
Brothers oversee Sun Hung Kai Properties, inherited from late father, now Hong Kong’s biggest developer by market value. Have interest in telecom SmarTone-Vodafone and in city bus operator, KMB. Raised $1.4 billion in October share placement to be used for China investments, expected to top $10 billion in 3 years.

No 3. Lee Shau Kee

$23 billion
Age 80 Marital Status Divorced, 5 children
Developer made correct predictions last year on rising China stocks, climbing oil prices, weak U.S. dollar. Criticized for using his clout to get access to numerous prelisted offerings; still, investment success has earned him nickname of “Asia’s Warren Buffett.”

No 4. Cheng Yu-tung

$9.4 billion
Age 82 Marital Status Married, 4 children
Heads conglomerate New World Development. Transformed tech affiliate New World Cyberbase into hot mining stock, Mongolia Energy. His private Chow Tai Fook Nominee invested in more than 15 recent listings. Upped number of family’s bodyguards after headquarters, one of its hotels and 16 of its telecom shops were ransacked.

No 5. Stanley Ho

$9 billion
Age 86 Marital Status Married, 17 children
Macau’s original casino mogul apparently hopes to list part of his Sociedade de Jogos de Macau this year; first attempt stalled after squabble with sister Winnie. Opened Grand Lisboa casino 2007, his 17th and biggest yet.

No 6. Joseph Lau

$5.5 billion
Age 56 Marital Status Divorced, 3 children
Socialite heads property developer, Chinese Estates Holdings. Owns stakes in other companies including retailer Lifestyle International. Art collector dropped $39 million for Paul Gauguin’s “Te Poipoi” (”The Morning”) in November. Paid $150 million for his fourth jet, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, last May.

No 7. Michael Kadoorie & family

$5.2 billion
Age 66 Marital Status Married, 3 children
Scion of family of Iraqi Jews who settled in Asia decades ago. Chairs CLP Group, Hong Kong electricity provider; investing in renewable energy. Chairs the Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels, which is opening Shanghai Peninsula 2009. Fortune down due to our double counting of family shares last year.

No 8. Peter Woo

$5 billion
Age 62 Marital Status NA
Chairs real estate, shipping outfit Wheelock & Co. Invests in new Chinese listings. Relinquished chair of the Trade Development Council, the de facto trade ambassador, a post he held since 2000. Considered possible candidate for city’s chief executive in 2012; lost race 1996.

No 9. Henry Fok descendants

$4.5 billion
Age NA Marital Status NA
Real estate, casino investor died 2006. Son Timothy is Hong Kong legislator and International Olympic Committee member. Another son, Ian, leads marine engineering firm Yau Wing.

No 10. Chen Din Hwa

$3.7 billion
Age 85 Marital Status NA
Delisted his Nan Fung Textile 1989; moved into real estate. Apparently partnered with Li Ka-shing’s Cheung Kong on some projects. Has stakes in China Aoyuan Property Group, Singapore billionaire Ng Teng Fong’s Sino Land.

These names are gathered from Forbes Asia. View the rest at Forbes.com

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