“reprint” in which he stares out powerfully from the “cover,” clad in a black Steve Jobs–style turtleneck, above the words THE WORLD’S SHREWDEST BUSINESSMAN. None of the magazines were real.
Lo, Regina and Francis’ only child, was born in Vancouver but spent his first nine years in Hong Kong before returning to Canada, where he later attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He went back to Hong Kong in 1999 and began working with his mom at R.E. Lee International, rising to managing director in 2003 and eventually becoming CEO.
But many of his other assets are fantasies. A spokesperson for Kai Tai Fung International, owner of the Mandarin Oriental, Taipei, toldit held discussions with Lo in 2019 but the sale did not go through: “There are no acquisitions from any parties of Mandarin Oriental, Taipei as of today.” A big Formula 1 fan, Calvin Lo boasts about having a multimillion-dollar collection of “supercars” including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces and Paganis. In trying to confirm his claims, Forbes instead came across what’s likely a manipulated photo of Lo with a Pagani. The photo at top is from a Sotheby’s auction; the other has appeared in several online articles about Lo.