Helmut Sohmen (born 10 December 1939 in Linz, Austria) is an Austrian lawyer and businessman in Hong Kong. He was chairman of BW Group and a former Hong Kong legislator. He was formerly managing director of Dragon Air.
In 2010 he was on the Forbes list with an estimated fortune of US$1.4 billion, the fourth-placed Austrian. In 2009 he was listed as the 13th richest person in Hong Kong.
Life
Sohmen grew up in Linz and in 1958 graduated from the Linz Realschule (Fadingerschule) with distinction. He then studied law at the University of Vienna and Southern Methodist University, and won a Fulbright scholarship to continue the University of Connecticut in the United States, eventually receiving his doctorate in Vienna.
Before starting his career in 1967, he married Anna Pui Hing Pao, whom he had met while studying in Canada. The couple have three children (two sons and one daughter). Pui Hing Anna Pao Sohmen held several functions in Hong Kong and was also a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In 2005 she was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star.
Career
His first job was as a legal adviser to the Royal Bank of Canada in Montreal. Helmut Sohmen later interrupted his professional activity more than once to graduate as Master of Comparative Law (Southern Methodist University) and a Master of Laws.
Sir Yue-Kong Pao, Sohmen’s father-in-law, owned World-Wide Shipping Group, one of the largest shipping companies in the world. In 1970 Sohmen moved with his family to Hong Kong in order to join the family business. After periods working in Bermuda (1974) and London (1977), in 1981 he finally settled in Hong Kong. With advancing age Pao gradually stepped back from day-to-day management and in 1986 Sohmen was appointed chairman of the World-Wide Shipping Group and Pao’s ownership was passed to Sohmen’s wife in 1989. In 2003 World-Wide completed the takeover of Norway’s Bergesen fleet to become Bergesen Worldwide Ltd., since then renamed BW Group. The group includes 140 tankers and more than 4500 employees (2010).
Hong Kong-based Austrian lawyer and businessman Helmut Sohmen has an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion as of March 2013 according to Forbes. He is also the seventh richest person in Austria, 1107th in the world and 38th in the List of 50 Richest People in Hong Kong. Born on December 10, 1939 in Linz, Austria, he graduated from Linz Realschule in 1958 then studied law at the University of Vienna. He won a Fulbright scholarship to continue studying at the University of Connecticut and went back to receive his doctorate in Vienna. Sohmen married Anna Pui Hing Pao who held several functions in Hong King. The two met while he was studying in Canada. He began accumulating his estimated net worth of $1.3 billion as a legal adviser to the Royal Bank of Canada in Montreal. However, he had to temporarily interrupt his professional career to graduate as Master of Comparative Law and a Master of Laws.
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