贝佳斯绿泥有什么用:梁安琪：何鸿燊争产案的大赢家

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Lam Thuy Vo / The Wall Street Journal
在与何鸿燊子女的激烈财产斗争中，何鸿燊（Stanley Ho）的四太太梁安琪（Angela Leong）异军突起，成了这桩家族争产案的大赢家。
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病缠身的澳门博彩业大亨何鸿燊（Stanley Ho）缔造了世界最赚钱的一个赌场帝国，他与四个太太共育有超过12个子女。在与何鸿燊子女的激烈财产斗争中，最年轻的四太太梁安琪（Angela Leong）异军突起，成了这桩家族争产案的大赢家。
现年50岁的梁安琪曾是一名舞蹈演员。她在何鸿燊大家族中的影响力与日俱增，最近家族达成和解协议后，她现在控制着何鸿燊核心博彩股份公司12亿美元的权益。
在之前的财产纷争中，何鸿燊其他两房太太及其子女想踢她出局，梁安琪击退了他们发出的棘手的公开挑战，赢得了塑造澳门盈利最丰厚赌场公司未来的权力。去年该公司旗下20家赌场收入74亿美元，盈利4.57亿美元。
据知情人士说，根据何家上个月达成的协议，梁安琪仍是何氏帝国旗下最重要的澳门博彩控股有限公司（SJM Holdings Ltd.，简称澳博控股）未来六年的执行董事，巩固了她在公司董事会的影响力。
梁安琪在采访中说，目前为止事情基本得到了解决；每个人都有不同的角色……我管理赌场是要想办法如何做得更大、怎样赚得更多。
梁安琪还说，不能说谁赢了、谁没赢；要看谁最能让公司发展得更好。何鸿燊及其家族成员通过他们的代表拒绝置评。
现在，梁安琪正在推进宏伟的计划。她的目标是：用13亿美元建造一个澳门主题公园和度假村项目，包括六间酒店、一个室内海滩和一个马术中心。不过为了配合澳门政府促进经济多元化的努力，这个项目不会有赌场。
梁安琪说，这个项目满足了她从头开始做项目的欲望。她说，我不能保证100%会成功，但有时做的事情并非都是为了赚很多钱；至少我能不赔不赚并且为澳门人提供就业机会。
现年89岁的何鸿燊在两年前接受脑部手术后坐上了轮椅，他指控梁安琪在家族中的对手通过发行新股并瓜分股票窃取赌场帝国的资产，从而引发纷争。何鸿燊先后两次起诉他的子女并随后撤诉。何氏家族达成的协和解议至少暂时结束了这场纷争。
在何家上演的这出“肥皂剧”中，何鸿燊还在视频中露面，前后表态却不一致，视频在互联网上广为并发布了好几封字迹颤颤巍巍的签名信，劝说他的子女返还拿走的资产。他的子女否认了这些指控并说财产交易是他授权的。
分析人士说，梁安琪会为公司带来稳定。预计她会保持现有的管理团队，她和这些人一直紧密合作。澳博控股还会充分利用她的个人和政治人脉，进一步重点发展旅澳内地赌客业务。
Lam Thuy Vo / for the Wall Street Journal
梁安琪现在控制着何鸿燊核心博彩股份公司12亿美元的权益。
对梁安琪这个几乎不会英语、以锺爱时装和钻石闻名的娇小女子来说，最新的事态进展标志着她三十年前雄心大志终成现实。
梁安琪的父亲是一名中国军官，在她13岁时，父亲死于肝病，家族遂被逐出精英阶层社区，她的特权阶层生活也就此结束。她说，这场剧变让她发誓一定要让自己过得更好。
何鸿燊曾称赞过梁安琪的冲劲。据何鸿燊疏远多时的胞妹何婉琪（Winnie Ho）自传记载，何鸿燊曾对她说，四太太和其他女人不一样，她宁愿大胆投资生意，而不只是每个月拿走10万澳元（约1.2万美元）。
对把澳门变成一个流光溢彩的博彩天堂的何氏家族来说，梁安琪地位的提升是出现的又一个曲折。澳门地处中国南海，曾是一个沉寂的葡萄牙殖民地，1999年回归中国。澳门是中国唯一可以合法开设赌场的地方，去年博彩业收入230亿美元，是拉斯维加斯的四倍以上。北京方面逐渐放宽了签证限制，大批出手阔绰的内地游客涌入澳门，推动了澳门实现爆炸性的增长。
梁安琪家被赶出政府住房后，她进入一家国营舞蹈学校学习，部分原因是该校提供免费食宿和一小笔津贴，可以贴补她突然生活困窘的家。她学业优异，成功面试了广东省一个文工团中一个令人 慕不已的职位。
她说，到1982年，在有关澳门财富和机遇的传闻的吸引下，她到了有亲戚朋友在那里的澳门。
为标志新的开始，她改了名字。她原来的名字叫禤伟玲，后来她翻阅了一本年鉴，选择了梁安琪这个名字，因为她认为这个名字会给她带来更多的好运。梁的粤语发音是Leong。安琪英文变成了Angela。她的父姓禤是个很少见的字，不常用到。
梁安琪在澳门教舞蹈和有氧健身操，存钱投资房地产，当时正值中国飞速发展，房地产大热。通过她的一个学生、何鸿燊的兄弟，梁安琪找到了在何鸿燊名下一家赌场点钱的白班。此人后来把她介绍给了热衷于交际舞的何鸿燊。她说，她与何鸿燊逐渐发展成为恋人关系。当时，何鸿燊成为一个新成立的交谊舞协会的名誉主席。
1986年何鸿燊认识梁安琪前，她已经拥有数套公寓。到上世纪90年代初，在何鸿燊的支持下，她牵头何鸿燊公司在广东省的房地产交易，包括她全程参与筹划的高尔夫球场。
此后，梁安琪逐渐建立了一个强大的权力基础。除供职于澳门最大的赌场运营商之外，她还拥有大量的房地产持股，运营着自己的赌场，担任澳门赛马会(MacauJockey Club)副主席，还是知名慈善机构和内地数家政治咨询组织的委员会成员。2005年，她成为澳门立法会议员，目前她在任第二届。
她与澳门博彩业一个独特部分的密切关系也是出了名的。这些赌场中间人从内地招募大赌客，借钱给他们赌博。中间人占了澳门博彩收入的75%。借钱赌博使内地赌客可以避开对带到海外资金额进行限制的外汇管制。
梁安琪是澳门赌场中间人协会会长，这一关系带来了稳定的大客户流，帮助澳博控股旗下的赌场保持了在澳门30%的市场份额。一家竞争对手赌场的一位高管说，她与大赌客有关系，她可以运作资金。
梁安琪说，她对很多赌场中间人都很友好，她被任命为赌场中间人协会会长，因为在相互竞争的赌场运营商中，她被视为一个值得信任、不偏不倚的调解人。
梁安琪说，她一直专注于通过新主题公园的开发增加澳博控股的收入。
她说，她的工作作风依然是小时候在内地苦练舞蹈时形成的那样，并且不打算慢下来。她说，我不想变老，不想最后死在养老院。
Angela Leong, the youngest of the four women with whom ailing casinomagnate Stanley Ho has produced more than a dozen children, has emergedfrom a bruising fight with his heirs to stand atop one of the world'smost lucrative gambling empires.
The former dancer, 50 years old,has steadily amassed influence within Mr. Ho's sprawling family, and,following a recent family reconciliation, she now controls a $1.2billion interest in Mr. Ho's core casino holdings.
Ms. Leongfended off a messy public challenge mounted by two of Mr. Ho's otherwives and their children to box her out, winning the power to shape thefuture of Macau's most lucrative gambling operation, which earned $457million on revenue of $7.4 billion from its 20 casinos last year.
Thefamily agreement reached last month allows Ms. Leong to remain asexecutive director of the Ho-empire flagship SJM Holdings Ltd. for sixyears, according to people familiar with the agreement, consolidatingher influence on the company's board.
'For now, it's basicallyresolved,' Ms. Leong said in an interview. 'Everybody has theirdifferent roles....I manage the casino to figure out how to make itbigger, how to earn more money.'
'You can't say who wins, whodoesn't,' Ms. Leong added. 'Look at who works best to let the companydevelop better.' Through their representatives, Mr. Ho and other membersof his family declined to comment.
Now Ms. Leong is pushingforward with ambitious projects. Her vision: a $1.3 billion plan tobuild a Macau theme park and resort with six hotels, an indoor beach andan equestrian center. The complex won't have a casino, however, in linewith the Macau government's efforts to diversify the economy.
Theproject satisfies Ms. Leong's desire to build something from scratch,she said. 'I can't say 100% that [this] will succeed, but sometimes noteverything you do is for making lots of money,' she said. 'At the veryleast I can break even and give the people of Macau opportunities towork.'
The Ho empire's agreement brings at least a temporary endto a family quarrel set off after Mr. Ho, who is 89 and confined to awheelchair following brain surgery two years ago, accused Ms. Leong'srivals in the family of stealing his casino-empire assets by issuing newshares and dividing them up. Mr. Ho sued his children and then droppedthe lawsuit, twice.
The soap opera also featured conflictingYouTube videos of Mr. Ho and personal letters, signed in his quiveringsignature, admonishing his children to give back what they took. Hischildren denied the allegations and said he had authorized thetransactions.
Analysts said Ms. Leong's victory will bringstability to the company. She is expected to keep the current managementteam, with whom she has worked closely. SJM is also expected toincrease its focus on Chinese gamblers traveling to Macau, putting herpersonal and political ties to use.
For Ms. Leong, a petite womanwho speaks little English and is known for her love of fashion anddiamonds, the latest developments mark the achievement of ambitions thatdate back three decades.
Her early life as the privilegeddaughter of a Chinese army officer ended when her father died of liverdisease when she was 13 and her family was kicked out a special compoundfor elites. The upheaval inspired Ms. Leong to vow to build a betterlife, she said.
Mr. Ho acknowledged Ms. Leong's drive. 'Unlikeother women, Fourth Wife would rather venture into business than simplytake 100,000 Macanese patacas,' about $12,000, a month, Mr. Ho once toldhis estranged sister, Winnie Ho, according to her autobiography.
Therise of Ms. Leong is the latest twist for a family that has transformedMacau, a sleepy Portuguese colony in the South China Sea that revertedto Chinese rule in 1999, into a neon gambler's paradise that generated$23 billion in casino revenue last year, more than quadruple that of LasVegas. The enclave is the only Chinese territory that allows casinos.Beijing's rulers have gradually loosened visa restrictions, unleashing aflood of big-spending Chinese tourists who have spurred the city'sexplosive growth.
After Ms. Leong's family was kicked out ofgovernment housing, she entered a state-run dance school, partly for thefree room and board and the small stipend to help her suddenly poorfamily. She excelled at the school, successfully auditioning for acoveted space in a Guangdong-province dance troupe.
By 1982,tempted by tales of riches and opportunity across the border, Ms. Leongarrived in Macau, where she had friends and relatives, she said.
Tomark her new beginning, she changed her name. Born Xuan Weiling, sheflipped through an almanac and chose Liang Anqi because she thought itwould be luckier. Leong is a Cantonese rendition of Liang. Anqi wasAnglicized to Angela. And Xuan, the surname from her father's ancestralvillage, is a rare character not commonly used.
Ms. Leong taughtdance and aerobics in Macau and saved money to invest in real estate,which was booming amid China's sudden growth. Through a student who was abrother of Mr. Ho, she landed a daytime shift counting earnings in oneof Mr. Ho's casino's. The same brother later introduced her to Mr. Ho,an avid ballroom dancer. She and Mr. Ho, who became honorary chairman ofa new ballroom-dancing association, gradually developed a relationship,Ms. Leong said.
By the time Mr. Ho met Ms. Leong in 1986, shealready owned several apartments. By the early 1990s, with his backing,she was spearheading property deals for Mr. Ho's business in Guangdongprovince, including golf courses that she helped plan from the groundup.
Since then, Ms. Leong has built a strong power base. Inaddition to her post in Macau's biggest casino operator, she has vastreal-estate holdings, runs her own casino, is vice chairman of the MacauJockey Club racetrack and sits on the boards of prominent charities andseveral political advisory groups in mainland China. In 2005, she won aseat in Macau's legislature, where she is serving her second term.
Sheis also known for close ties to a unique part of Macau's gamblingecosystem. Middlemen known as junket operators, who recruit high rollersfrom mainland China and lend them money to gamble, account for 75% ofMacau's gambling revenue. The loans allow Chinese gamblers to get aroundcurrency controls limiting how much money they can take abroad.
Ms.Leong is head of Macau's junket association, and that tie brings asteady stream of big clients, helping SJM casinos maintain a 30% marketshare in Macau. 'She's got relationships with big players, and she canmove money,' said an executive from a competing casino.
Ms. Leongsaid she is friendly with many of the junket operators and that she wasnominated to head their association because she was seen as a trustedand impartial mediator among competing operators.
Ms. Leong said she has focused on increasing SJM's revenue through the development of the new theme park.
Shesaid she remains driven by the same work ethic she developed as acallused child dancing in China and has no plans to slow down. 'I don'twant to grow old and end up in an old age home,' she said.