Page 17 - Sphere No.14 (Jul 2005)

found myself less an objective observer and more an admiring
student. And there is much to learn. As Chirac spoke, I consid-
ered that Mr Li has built a global empire. He has been acknowl-
edged as the Entrepreneur of the Millennium. He has, in the
words of Chirac, “built his success and then fed it back to the
community.” But I realise that all of these accomplishments are
not the true measure of Li Ka-shing.
Kipling wrote that the mark of a man is his ability to walk
with kings without losing the common touch. It is an ideal,
and over the years I have watched many try to attain it, only to
come off as patronising or feigning in
their words and deeds. On the other
hand, witnessing the ideal in a moment
– stark and true – is an experience never
to be forgotten. And so it endures.
“This must be a very exciting moment
for you,” Mr Li tells the Shantou graduating class. “You have
studied hard and completed an important stage in life. You are
moving on, and I have felt your joy being with you on campus
these few nights.”
Hundreds of students have rushed to the front of the audito-
rium to capture his photograph. There is no pretence to the
man. And it is clear that the students – who can sniff out
hypocrisy at a hundred paces – find no guile in him. When he
offers them insights, it is as if they are receiving scripture.
“Whenever you turn a new leaf in life, when you dream a new
dream – foster new hopes – it is always time to ponder, and to
ask yourself, ‘Are you ready?’ , ‘Do you have what it takes?’
When you dream of success, are you ready for endurance?”
Students continue to take his photograph. “You are ambitious
to lead. But are you ready to serve? We all want to get. Do we
know how to give? We all want to stand out. But do we know
how to be supportive? You want to change others. Would you
change for them? We all want to have courage. But do we know
honour? We all want to have wealth. But do you know the true
value of wealth? We know passion. But do we know love?
“You are the only one who knows how you are going to live
your life. The knowledge you have gained here will bring you
opportunities; but it will not tell you how to live. Only you
can change your knowledge into wisdom.
“My dear students, ‘Are you ready?’”
When he finishes, the auditorium erupts in applause and he
steps from the stage. Again, students and their parents press for-
ward to shake his hand. Trustees and university administrators
follow him as he walks slowly up the aisle,
taking time to greet as many as possible. I
take my place at the end of the procession
and am surprised as we emerge from the
building into a thunderstorm. The leading
edge of the typhoon has made land. The
sky is dark. The rain hard. And a car is waiting to take Mr Li to
the airport. I look to the car, assuming that Mr Li is already
inside. Then I see that students and parents have followed him
into the plaza. He is nowhere near the car, but among the crowd.
Camera flashes mingle with lightning. Students and parents
swarm around him. He poses for photographs, enthusiastically
shakes hands and embraces people who only moments ago were
strangers. As I watch from the steps above the plaza, it feels as if
time is standing still. Trustees and administrators try to direct Mr
Li toward the car, but just as he would not leave the students two
days earlier when we arrived, he will not leave them now – not
before he has had the opportunity to meet everyone who wants
to meet him. Even in the rain and roaring thunder, he is unde-
terred, and as I stand, inspired by his example, I am grateful for
the rain, as it masks not only my tears, but those in the eyes of so
many others. And I feel myself being changed, honoured to see
what true wealth is and how it only becomes true wealth when it
is given away, with nothing expected in return.
From left to right: Mr Li visits patients
in a facility he funds in Guangdong;
graduating students at Shantou Uni-
versity express their gratitude to Mr Li;
emergency food supplies provided by
the Li Ka Shing Foundation.
SPHERE 15