Derek Cheung
Derek Cheung | |
|---|---|
鍾培生 | |
 Cheung in 2021 | |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Organization | Hong Kong Esports |
| Known for | Founder of Hong Kong Esports |
| Spouse |
Angel Chong Nga-ting
(m. 2026) |
| Relatives | Chung Kong-hoi (grandfather) |
Derek Cheung (Chinese: 鍾培生) is a Hong Kong businessman and esports entrepreneur. He founded the esports company Hong Kong Esports (HKES) in 2013 and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2018.[1][2] Cheung has also taken part in exhibition boxing, defeating the commentator Joseph Lam Chok in 2021 and the former professional gamer Toyz in 2023.[3][4]
Early life and education
[edit]Cheung is a grandson of Chung Kong-hoi, a Hong Kong property developer known as the "industrial building king", who founded the listed company Wah Ha Realty in the 1960s and developed buildings including Star House in Tsim Sha Tsui.[5][6] Cheung has said that his parents limited him to fifteen minutes of video games a day until he was twelve.[7] He told Apple Daily that he earned about HK$500,000 at the age of fifteen by trading virtual goods in online games.[5][8]
Cheung entered the University of Southern California at sixteen, majoring in mathematics and economics.[5][7] He worked in finance before moving into esports.[8]
Business career
[edit]Hong Kong Esports
[edit]Cheung founded Hong Kong Esports in 2013 with initial capital of HK$1 million.[7][5] For its first two years the company operated as an events business built around esports competitions, and it broke even in its first year.[5][7] Cheung told Apple Daily that early investors questioned whether the business was viable, with some dismissing it as a management or events company with limited prospects.[6]
In 2017 the company completed a Series A funding round of US$10 million, led by Autobot Capital Partners (博派資本) together with Hong Kong investors.[5][8] HKET reported in February 2017 that the company was valued at over HK$100 million;[8] by September that year HK01 reported a valuation of about US$40 million, or roughly HK$312 million.[7] The company later operated branches in Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.[5] Its teams were brought under the single name Hong Kong Attitude.[9] Both HK01 and Apple Daily reported that a team owned by the company became the first Hong Kong side to qualify for the League of Legends World Championship.[7][5]
Dispute with Toyz
[edit]Kurtis Lau Wai-kin, known as Toyz, played for Cheung's organisation before leaving it.[7] Cheung told HK01 that Lau had sought an unconditional release from his contract and, when this was refused, reported to a regional tournament organiser that the company had fixed matches, then stopped performing his contract.[7] HK01 reported that the organiser investigated and found that Hong Kong Esports had not fixed matches, though it considered an intention to have players conceal their ability to be contrary to principles of fair competition.[7] Cheung began legal proceedings in November 2016, and HK01 reported that Lau settled by paying HK$2.1 million.[7]
Boxing
[edit]HKET described Cheung as a boxing enthusiast in February 2017.[8]
2021: Joseph Lam Chok
[edit]In September 2021 Cheung promoted and headlined a celebrity boxing card in Hong Kong, billed in English as We Are Champs 2021.[2] His opponent was the commentator Joseph Lam Chok. Cheung said before the bout that he would knock Lam out; Lam lasted the full four rounds and Cheung won by unanimous decision.[3][10] Speaking afterwards, Cheung said he was disappointed not to have secured a knockout and credited Lam's preparation.[10]
2023: Toyz
[edit]On 5 July 2023 Cheung fought Lau at Taipei Arena on a card billed as The Cage.[4] Lau had won the 2012 League of Legends World Championship with Taipei Assassins before joining Cheung's organisation, and the two had been in dispute for several years.[11] At the weigh-in, Cheung struck Lau.[11] Cheung won the bout by technical knockout in the fourth round.[4]
Other activities
[edit]In a 2017 interview with Ming Pao, Cheung said the Hong Kong government should encourage companies to sponsor esports teams and should grant esports players the status of professional athletes.[12]
In December 2025, after a fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po drew scrutiny to bid-rigging in Hong Kong's building maintenance industry, Cheung announced that he would form a group to help owners' corporations monitor property management companies and tender processes. He initially proposed calling it 全港反圍標監察關注組 ('Hong Kong anti-bid-rigging monitoring concern group') and later named it 香港正義聯盟 ('Hong Kong Justice League').[13][14]
Personal life
[edit]Cheung married Angel Chong Nga-ting in March 2026.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Derek Cheung". Forbes. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
- 1 2 Lee, Wing-Sze (15 September 2021). "Hong Kong influencer showdown: inside Derek Cheung and Joseph Lam Chok's million-dollar boxing match, We Are Champs 2021". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 【林鍾一戰】林作苦戰四回合未被KO 鍾培生獲判勝出 [Lam Chok survives four rounds without being knocked out; Derek Cheung awarded the win]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 19 September 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 拳賽落幕「中路野獸」Toyz遭判TKO 鍾培生獲勝 [Toyz ruled TKO as the bout ends; Derek Cheung wins]. TVBS News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 5 July 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 李海澄 (11 July 2019). 「香港王思聰」瞓身搞電競 富三代鍾培生感恩家底厚 [The "Hong Kong Wang Sicong" goes all in on esports: third-generation heir Derek Cheung is grateful for his family background]. Apple Daily (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 香港電競鍾培生：談融資受盡質疑 [Hong Kong Esports' Derek Cheung: doubted at every turn when raising money]. Apple Daily (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 23 May 2017. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 余秉峰 (6 September 2017). 【惹火有錢仔】27歲靠「計」創3億生意 鍾培生：唔識嘅嘢唔投資 [27-year-old builds a HK$300 million business by calculation: Derek Cheung on not investing in what he does not understand]. HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 富三代鍾培生打機打出血路 誓做東南亞第一電競品牌 [Third-generation heir Derek Cheung carves a path through gaming, vowing to build Southeast Asia's top esports brand]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 8 February 2017. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ HKES 宣布 TABE 出任《英雄聯盟》戰隊教練 旗下所有隊伍統一命名 HKA [HKES names TABE as League of Legends coach and unifies all its teams under the HKA name]. Bahamut GNN (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 16 May 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 衛爾良 (19 September 2021). 林鍾大戰無敵盃｜鍾培生勝出 KO林作未成真 [Lam-Chung bout: Cheung wins but the knockout does not materialise]. HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 Jocelyn (7 July 2023). 「鍾椅之戰」Toyz 對鍾培生落幕！解析他們之間的電競界恩怨 [The Toyz-Cheung bout concludes: unpacking their esports feud]. INSIDE (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ 鍾培生：港府應承認電競運動員 籲提高專業門檻 予更多認受性 [Derek Cheung: the government should recognise esports players, and raise professional standards to give the field more legitimacy]. Ming Pao (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 14 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ 大埔宏福苑五級火｜鍾培生擬組「全港反圍標監察關注組」 邀前廉政專員加入 [Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire: Derek Cheung plans an anti-bid-rigging monitoring group, inviting a former ICAC commissioner to join]. Ming Pao Finance (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 1 December 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ 鍾培生宣布成立「香港正義聯盟」 首戰劍指反圍標 [Derek Cheung announces the formation of the Hong Kong Justice League, targeting bid-rigging first]. EDigest (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 19 December 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ 鍾培生莊雅婷正式結婚 [Derek Cheung and Angel Chong Nga-ting marry]. HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 28 March 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ 富三代鍾培生與莊雅婷正式結婚 [Third-generation heir Derek Cheung marries Angel Chong Nga-ting]. Sing Tao Headline (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 28 March 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.