Renowned Hong Kong artist and actor David Lui, known as Si Gor, passed away on July 20 at the age of 89. While the public mourns his loss, there is also significant interest in his accumulated assets and posthumous arrangements. Although his family has not officially disclosed details of the estate distribution, according to reports from Hong Kong media, Lui had already drafted a will after suffering a stroke. He intended to leave ninety percent of his assets to Lucas and Quintus, the sons of Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung, with the remaining ten percent going to Nicholas Tse and his sister Tingting.
Reportedly, Lui had made estate plans prior to his passing, with his estate valued at approximately 100 million Hong Kong dollars, including properties, securities investments, and earnings from his artistic works. It is said that Lui had his own considerations in estate distribution, intending to leave around 90% of his wealth to the two sons of Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung. However, this portion of the assets will not be directly managed by the grandsons but will be placed in a “Grandchildren Growth Fund,” managed by a professional trust company, with Cecilia Cheung holding guardianship rights but not ownership. If Cecilia Cheung remarries in the future, she will lose her guardianship eligibility.
The remaining ten percent of the estate will be evenly inherited by Nicholas Tse and Tingting, with Nicholas Tse receiving property in Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, and Tingting acquiring assets such as jewelry.
Lui had two marriages, with Deborah Dik and Jeanette Lin Tsui, both ending in divorce. Nicholas Tse and Tingting are the children of Lui and Deborah Dik.
According to insiders, the reason Lui made such arrangements for his estate was because he believed that his son, Nicholas Tse, had achieved success in his career over the years and was capable of independent living, while his daughter, Tingting, had married into a wealthy family and did not need a significant inheritance from her father. In contrast, the two grandsons are still in their formative years, prompting Lui to secure their future in advance.
There were also rumors suggesting that aside from involving Cecilia Cheung in the management of the grandchildren’s assets, Lui had appointed his long-time friend Adele Lin Ching-hsia as one of the estate administrators, to be transferred to the grandsons once they reached adulthood.
On the evening of July 20th, the Lin Ching-hsia Fans’ Club posted on Weibo to clarify that the statement about Lin Ching-hsia managing Lui’s estate was a rumor. Nicholas Tse and Tingting have yet to come forward to confirm the authenticity of the will.
Interestingly, Lui passed away on the 53rd anniversary of the death of martial arts legend Bruce Lee. These two iconic figures who led the Hong Kong entertainment industry in different eras bid farewell on the same date in the same month, leading fans to reflect on the “fall of the twin stars.”
In reality, Lui and Bruce Lee had a deep friendship. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, when Bruce Lee returned to Hong Kong to develop his career, he visited Lui, always addressing him as “Si Gor.” The mutual respect between the two was evident, with Bruce Lee often deferring the central position to his senior in photos, showcasing his reverence for Lui and establishing a legendary tale in the film industry.
In 2000, when Stephen Chow faced industry restrictions due to creative differences and casting an actor resembling Bruce Lee, Anthony Chan, in “Shaolin Soccer,” he visited Lui to explain that the film was a tribute to Bruce Lee. After hearing this, Lui not only agreed wholeheartedly to play the formidable villain “Team Evil” without charging a fee, setting an example of mutual assistance in the film industry.
Upon learning of Lui’s passing, Stephen Chow shared a black and white photo of Si Gor in a suit, sporting his signature smile on his IG story. Chow quoted a line from the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu’s “Drinking with Eight Immortals” to describe Lui’s life as free-spirited and charming, writing, “Actor David Lui, rest well on your journey.” This gesture expressed Chow’s respect and sorrow for Lui, evoking memories of their classic collaborations on the big screen.