Stanley Ho Hung-sun (1921-2020) was a prominent Hong Kong and Macau billionaire businessman and casino magnate, widely known as the 'King of Gambling' for his dominance in the casino industry. Born into the influential Ho-tung family in Hong Kong, which had roots in Eurasian business elites, Ho faced family financial decline during his youth due to the Great Depression and World War II. He began his career in the 1940s as a money changer and trader in Macau, leveraging wartime opportunities in shipping and commodities. By 1961, Ho, along with partners, secured a 40-year monopoly on Macau's gaming industry through Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM), transforming the enclave into a major gambling hub and amassing a fortune estimated in the billions. He controlled much of Macau's gaming industry until liberalization in 2002, which ended his monopoly. Ho's business empire expanded beyond casinos into shipping, aviation, real estate, and hospitality. He founded Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM Holdings) in 2001, which operated 19 casinos including the iconic Grand Lisboa. Politically active, Ho held various advisory roles in Macau and Hong Kong governments, including as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. His influence extended through family ties, with daughters and relatives involved in business and entertainment. Ho's life was marked by personal controversies, including multiple marriages and family disputes over inheritance. He passed away in 2020 at age 98, leaving a legacy as a pivotal figure in East Asian business and the architect of Macau's economic transformation into the world's largest gambling center, surpassing Las Vegas.