Late Casino King’s Daughter Josie Ho Received Less Inheritance Than Her Siblings

Ever since the passing of Macau Casino King Stanley Ho in 2020 at age 98, the distribution of his vast estate has been of much public interest.

According to reports, Stanley had set up a family trust where his 16 children will each receive a six-figure sum every month. When converted to Singapore dollars, it means they'll be getting at least S$18K a month.

He also had three surviving wives, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. First wife Clementina Angela Leitao passed away in 2004 at the age of 80.

Singer-actress Josie Ho, whose mum is Stanley’s second wife, Lucina Laam, was recently a guest on Chinese talk show A Date with Luyu. On it, she shared what it’s like being the daughter of the gambling mogul as well as insights into the distribution of his estate.

The exact value of his estate remains unclear, though it is estimated it to be worth at least HK$1.72 billion (S$299mil).

Josie, 49, said candidly that compared to her siblings — sisters Pansy, 61, Daisy, 59, Maisy, 57, and younger brother Lawrence, 46 — who all joined the family business, she’s had it easy.

When asked how her dad split his wealth, Josie replied: “Evenly,” before adding: "Of course, I will receive slightly less than my siblings who work for the family business."

However, she acknowledged that it is enough for her to pursue the life she desires.

Would Pansy, who took over the reins of their father's empire, neglect her if she ran out of money?

“She wouldn’t care. As long as I don’t starve, she’s satisfied. I have to fend for myself,” said Josie.

Josie has always had a rebellious streak.

Instead of following the footsteps of her siblings and joining the family business, she went against her parents’ wishes and pursued a career in showbiz.

“My parents didn’t allow me to enter the entertainment industry because I was rebellious, and they were afraid I would offend many people,” she said.

With the help of Pansy, Josie managed to convince her dad to let her become a singer. She released her first album in 1994 and later went into acting.

Over the past three decades, she has released several albums as well as starred and produced many films.

In 2022, she was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement at the Hawaii International Film Festival for her contributions to film industries in Asia and Hollywood.

During the show, Josie also talked about her relationship with husband, model Conroy Chan, 51.

Josie said that one of Stanley's criteria for a son-in-law is that he has to be handsome and not too short. She also praised Conroy for being very naive and innocent – a rarity in today's society.

"My dad said he's really kind and a bit slow, so it's good. It's better not to have someone too smart,” she quipped.

When the couple tied the knot in 2003, many didn’t think highly of their relationship and Conroy sacrificed a lot to be with her.

He could not meet his female friends or act in films, and had some missed opportunities.

"At that time, he was very popular and almost went to shoot a Hollywood movie,” she revealed.

Recalling their wedding, Josie shared that her father splurged on the nuptials, but "I never wanted my dad to spend a lot of money on me”.

Just don't accept it, said host Chen Luyu.

But Josie admitted that she still did, but none of it was spent on frivolous things like buying clothes, but on work and growing her career.

Photos: Josie Ho/Weibo, YouTube