Insightful, fascinating and lively, Simon Murray’s talk last month was a fitting kick-off for the Chamber’s inaugural “CEO 123 Tell Me More Series.”
The legendary businessman, author and adventurer spoke to a full house at the Chamber on 4 December, sharing his views on topics ranging from the future of Hong Kong to the threat of climate change.
“I am so happy to see so many of you here today,” he began, eliciting laughs when he explained this was how a former British minister inadvertently addressed inmates during a prison visit.
An Extraordinary Career
Murray’s life has an excitingly uncharted feel to it, which he documents in his new book, Nobody Will Shoot You If You Make Them Laugh: One Man's Journey Through The Mountains and Valleys of Life.
At the Chamber he regaled the audience with anecdotes from his chequered life, from peeling potatoes aboard a ship from Rotterdam to Argentina, to working in an iron foundry on the princely wage of one pound a day, and fighting in the Algerian War during five years as a French Legionnaire.
He also spent more than four decades as a successful businessman in Asia. Murray moved to Hong Kong in 1965, when he joined the Jardine Matheson Group, overseeing its engineering business and trading operations. Between 1984 and 1993, he became Group Managing Director of Hutchison Whampoa, the flagship company of Asia’s biggest businessman Li Ka-Shing. He also pioneered the group’s entry into the mobile telecommunication business and negotiated the rights to develop Orange, a leading European PCN network.
Later, as Executive Chairman Asia Pacific for the Deutsche Bank Group, he supervised operations in 17 countries. He is also the founder and Executive Chairman of GEMS, an investment company in Asia. Now 84, he is a director of a number of companies including Cheung Kong Holdings and Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA.
But it hasn’t been only about multibillion dollar corporate deals. At the age of 60, when one usually contemplates hanging up one’s hat, Murray ran the Marathon des Sables, a 242km race across the unforgiving Moroccan desert. A few years later, he embarked on a 1,200km trek to the South Pole and made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest man to do so unsupported.
Future of Hong Kong
Discussing what is in store for Hong Kong post-2047, Murray said he was very optimistic about the future, especially as China is committed to opening up.
“I believe China strongly supports Hong Kong, and wants Hong Kong to work towards integration and be loyal, as a part of the country,” said Murray.
He also highlighted Hong Kong’s position as a hub for trade and investment, making it a lynchpin in China’s overall development under the “one country, two systems” principle.
“Hong Kong is also a terrific bridge between the East and West, especially as a historical port of trade with the rest of the world. ‘When goods don’t cross frontiers, armies will’,” said Murray, quoting Frédéric Bastiat. “Trade is important for peace.”
As a financial centre with a strong international reputation, Hong Kong has always been strategic to the growth of the nation. “Hong Kong is a gateway to China and especially the Greater Bay Area, which is home to 86 million people,” he said, adding that business would keep pouring into Hong Kong as it works to further burnish its standing as a competitive world city.
“When I first arrived in Hong Kong, the city used to receive 500,000 tourists a year. Today, it welcomes 51 million visitors annually. Take hotels like the Mandarin Oriental – it ranks among the biggest names in the hospitality sector around the globe. This is Hong Kong! And I believe Hong Kong will be fine,” he stated to a round of applause.
U.S-Sino Relations
Sharing his views on the relationship between the United States and China, Murray said he was of the opinion that relations between the world’s two biggest economies would get warmer in time.
He underlined his point by quoting from a speech made by a high-ranking Chinese official at the American Asiatic Association: “It has been a great pleasure to watch the progress of the AAA in helping to bring our two nations closer together, and I can say today that America is beginning to really understand China, and China has a much better understanding of America. We must use our growing friendship to ensure this mutual understanding continues to the benefit of us all.”
He then revealed to the surprised audience the year in which the address was made – 1910, some 113 years ago.
“China is patient,” said Murray, adding that the country had always advocated for cooperation and stronger ties with the U.S. He also pointed out that President Xi Jinping has said China and the United States can enjoy cooperation while respecting each other’s ways.
The Threat of Climate Change
Murray is a proponent of nuclear energy as the future of clean energy, as it does not produce carbon emissions or noxious greenhouse gases through its operation.
“The population of the world in 1950 was about 2 billion. Today, the population is 8 billion. In 30 years, it is estimated to be over 9 billion – and that is quite a lot of demand for energy. Where is that energy going to come from? The answer, according to me, is nuclear.”
Quoting statistics from the International Energy Authority, he explained that converting a third of the oil used today into renewables would be equivalent to building 4.2 billion solar roofs or 3 million windmills over 50 years.
“These are sobering numbers, and that’s what we are faced with going forward,” said Murray. “We have a lot to think about. In my opinion, I believe the future is going to be nuclear – 40% of our energy baseload will be nuclear, 25% renewables, 10% coal, 15% oil, and around 10% gas.”
He also discussed the hot-button issue of the world’s melting polar caps, with 750 billion tons of ice disappearing each year due to global warming.
“This results in rising sea levels, which pose a direct threat to coastal life in countries around the world,” said Murray. “Nearly 150 million people will be displaced 20 years from today if something is not done about it.”
Carving a Path in the World
Responding to a request for advice to students who are about to graduate and embark on their careers, Murray said: “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.”
“When I was 14 or 15, I read The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The first line says, ‘Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.’ It made an impression on me back then,” said Murray. “But now that I am older, I realize we are not born free, but born into a box, which is the circumstances of our birth.”
He explained that having realized what the circumstances are, the objective is to get out, and forge one’s path to success.
“I went to boarding school. My parents were divorced when I was two months old. I never saw my father until I was 27,” said Murray. “My advice, therefore, is to get off the path and find your space. And in that space, you will find yourself, and that is the beginning of freedom to do what you want,” he said.