| Li is immensely wealthy (personal net worth about $6 billion) and also rich in connections -- in governments and business across Asia and beyond.
Normally shuns politics, but he is caught up in a tussle over Hong Kong's first post-1997 leader. His expanding clout in China and Hong Kong has fueled unease in Beijing.
Long a dominant player in old-economy Asia, Li has moved boldy and successfully into the New Economy. His Hutchison Whampoa is a market leader in telecommunications, while his Internet portal Tom.com sparked wild investor enthusiasm. Li's clout has gone global.
Li's close ties to top Chinese leaders continue to give him much political influence.
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