How much money would you ask for to marry a woman? But not just any woman – a daughter from one of the largest property managers in Hong Kong. Except, there’s catch…
Meet Cecil Chao Sze-tsung
This is a man who managed to build an enormous real estate empire in Hong Kong. He has helped many people by giving them jobs and roofs over their head. However, it’s Cecil who needs help now. And he’s offering money for it!
It all started back in 2012
Five years ago, Cecil gave an offer of $65 million to any man who is willing to marry his daughter Gigi. This eccentric billionaire is famous for doing such things, so nothing strange about that, right?
Well, the offer went up to a whopping $180 million – and the reason why?
Five years ago, Gigi was already in a 9-year-long committed relationship
Gigi was the type of girl who didn’t care for her father’s wealth. Or men… As a matter of fact, she wasn’t interested in marrying any man.
Over the years, his offer increased to the aforementioned amount
Cecil is a proud and somewhat old-fashioned man who wants (male) heirs to inherit his wealth. However, his daughter Gigi had something else on her mind.
Gigi wrote a letter tho her father Cecil, and the letter was published in the South China Morning Post.
“Dear Daddy,” her letter begins…
“I must have misled you to hope there were other options for me. I know it’s difficult for you to understand how I could feel romantically attracted to a woman; I suppose I can’t really explain it either. It just happens, peacefully and gently, and after so many years, we still love each other very much.”
Gigi married her partner Sean in a civil ceremony
Disobeying her father’s wishes, Gigi married her partner the day her father gave his first offer of $65 million. “Now, I’m not asking you to be best of friends; however, it would mean the world to me if you could just not be so terrified of her, and treat her like a normal, dignified human being,” Gigi said.
Despite Cecil’s denial over the years, Gigi still seeks the approval of her father
“I understand it is difficult for you to understand, let alone accept this truth. I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out who I am, what is important in my life, who I love and how best to live life, as an expression of all these questions.”
Since then, this powerful message from Gigi has crossed the globe
“I am proud of my life, and I would not choose to live it any other way (except also figuring out how to be gentler on the planet). I’m sorry to mislead you to think I was only in a lesbian relationship because there was a shortage of good, suitable men in Hong Kong. There are plenty of good men, they are just not for me.”
Cecil Chao never gave his response to Gigi’s letter
The offer of $180 million is still on the table, and Cecil, known for his extraordinary claims, believes that she’ll “turn around”.
It seems that Cecil, to the eye of the public, is more interested in grabbing the spotlight than imparting a moral lesson – which he lacks the ground for, since the man himself has children with three different women.
So, don’t hold your breath. For now, it looks like Gigi will stay happy (and rich, because Cecil never said “No” to sharing his wealth with her) in her civil marriage.