Helmut Sohmen

Helmut Sohmen 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.

  • Helmut Sohmen was chairman of the shipping giant BW Group for 28 years, before he stepped down and handed the reins to son Andreas in 2014.
  • The Austrian citizen has lived in Hong Kong for decades and is married to Anna Pui Hing Pao, the oldest daughter of the late shipping tycoon Y.K. Pao.
  • He supports a graduate scholarship program for Chinese lawyers studying at his alma mater, Southern Methodist University in Texas.
  • His billionaire brother-in-law, Peter Woo, controls Wheelock and Company, a Hong Kong-based real estate firm.

BW Group Helmut Sohmen