Stanley Ho, Macau Gambling Tycoon, Dies at 97

Stanley Ho, known as the father of Macau's gambling industry, died at the age of 97. Ho was one of the richest people in Asia and made Macau's gambling industry what it is today.

Ho began his career with smuggling luxury goods into mainland China and later ventured into the gambling business in the 1960s. He received a gambling license from the colonial authorities and started mass construction in Macau.

Ho's influence in Macau continued to grow even after the change in power in the region, with Chinese state media calling him a 'patriotic businessman'. However, his name is also linked to money laundering, prostitution, and collaboration with organized crime groups. Ho himself did not deny these allegations, stating that it was necessary to build the gambling industry in Macau the way it is today.