Li Ka-Shing, whose net worth is estimated at $18.8 billion, is one of the richest men in Asia.

The chairman of Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong Holdings was only 12-years-old when his family fled from China after the Japanese invaded the country.

They arrived in Hong Kong looking to make a life for themselves. However, when Li was only 15, his father passed away forcing him to drop out of school and support the family.

He started off working at his uncle's shop, selling watches. When he was 21, he established his own plastic manufacturing company that dealt in high-quality plastic flowers. He also ventured into real estate development, retail, ports, and power, electronics, and telecommunications.

Image: Li Ka-shing, chairman of Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong Holdings. | Photograph: Antony Dickson/AFP/Getty Images