Liu Hongsheng 劉鴻生

 

Liu Hongsheng (1888-1956), dubbed as the "King of Match and Wool", was one of the early industrialists in Shanghai. Born into a poor family, Liu developed his own business empire over 23 years from 1907 to 1930. In the early 1910's, Liu accumulated his wealth by serving as a buyer for the Kailuan Coal Mine Company. Later, he invested heavily in matchstick production, cement, wool spinning, shipping, financing, insurance and other sectors. His most famous companies include Shanghai Cement Manufacturing Company, China Matchstick Material Co. Ltd., and China Wool Textile Company.In his lifetime, he established more than 60 businesses spanning over 20 sectors. The industrial giant had a total wealth of more than 20 million silver dollars in his heyday.