Two Hours, One Fake Death: How a Rumor Killed Li Ka-shing and Then Brought Him Back

At noon on October 15, a screenshot appeared on Weibo.

It said Hong Kong’s Ta Kung Pao had reported that Li Ka-shing, senior adviser to CK Asset Holdings, died at 98. There was no page image. No reporter’s byline. No link. Just bold black text and a clipped paragraph.

The reposts began.

Some added candles. Some wrote “Rest in peace.” Some tagged finance accounts to ask if it was true. The claim moved from small accounts to aggregator accounts, then to the trending list. An hour later, Sina Finance’s official account reposted it: “Li Ka-shing, senior adviser to CK Asset Holdings, has died.” A “boom” icon appeared next to the hashtag.

CK Asset’s phones started ringing.

“Absolutely no such thing”

At midday, CK Asset Holdings issued a statement.

It was short. It left no room for interpretation. “With regard to today’s mainland self-media account falsely claiming, and Sina Finance’s official account reposting, that Hong Kong Ta Kung Pao reported the death of the company’s senior adviser Mr. Li Ka-shing, the company hereby solemnly declares: ‘Absolutely no such thing.’”

The statement condemned the self-media account for “grandstanding and deliberately fabricating fake news.” It said it was “deeply disappointed” that media reposted the claim without verification. It urged media and others to confirm accuracy before publishing or reposting.

Ta Kung Pao’s editorial department issued its own statement at almost the same time. It said it had never published the content described by the social account. It would pursue legal responsibility against the account that forged the paper’s source.

A Nanfang Plus reporter checked with a person close to the Li family. The person said the news was untrue. A blogger quoted a CK Asset insider: 98-year-old Li Ka-shing was “in good health.”

From the rumor hitting the trending list to CK Asset’s statement, about two hours passed.

How the rumor ran

The chain was simple.

The earliest version on social platforms had no source. When several accounts copied it, they added: “according to a Hong Kong Ta Kung Pao report.” By the time Sina Finance’s official account reposted it, the source had become “Li Ka-shing, senior adviser to CK Asset Holdings, has died.”

A Nanfang Plus reporter found no related article on Ta Kung Pao’s site. The screenshot had no official source.

Each link added credibility. Small accounts provided the “breaking” claim. Aggregators spread it. An official account endorsed it. By the time it reached the trending list, it no longer needed a source.

The scooter on Victoria Peak

The rumor stuck around for a few hours because Li Ka-shing has stayed out of public view.

He retired in 2018. He no longer attends CK group results meetings. He does not answer media questions. His schedule is mostly released through his foundation.

His most recent appearance was May 20, 2026.

That day, the Li Ka Shing Foundation released a photo. He wore a blue vest and a white long-sleeved shirt. He sat on a foldable electric scooter, an ATTO Sport made by the Israeli company Moving Life. The scooter was parked at Victoria Peak. Behind him: blue sky, white clouds, Victoria Harbour in the distance.

The same day, the foundation announced a new round of its “Love Can Help” medical scheme. The scheme includes Histotripsy, a non-invasive tissue fragmentation treatment. It partners with Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong, CUHK Medical Centre and Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital. Within three years, it will treat 200 eligible liver cancer patients. Patients pay 50,000 yuan. The surgery requires no incision and has a fast recovery.

The foundation’s post said Li Ka-shing had received letters from patients. Some had learned about the treatment but missed the window because they had no commercial insurance or their policies did not cover it. Li Ka-shing asked that Histotripsy be added to the subsidy.

Comments followed: “Retired but not resting, Brother Shing keeps helping people.” “Hong Kong is fortunate to have Brother Shing.” Others noticed his expression in the photo and wished him good health.

“Died” twice this year

Earlier this year, two rumors about his health spread the same way.

Before the 2026 Lunar New Year, market talk said he was critically ill, even in the ICU. TV reporters waited outside Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong. Then Hong Kong finance KOL “Yip Long-ching” posted a recent photo on Facebook. The post said the animated “Brother Shing” had, the day before, eaten hot pot in cold weather and discussed a medical technology breakthrough with friends. In the photo, Li Ka-shing wore a cream-colored long garment. He spoke with animated gestures. The man in dark clothing was Dr. Hui Wai-mo, a gastroenterology and hepatology specialist.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Li Ka-shing was photographed at Hong Kong’s Charity Temple welcoming the God of Wealth.

Two rumors. Two times broken by photos and schedules. This time, CK Asset issued a statement.

One limit-up

The rumor caused a short episode in the A-share market.

An A-share company named Jiacheng International, ticker 603535, runs supply chain logistics. It has no business connection to Li Ka-shing or the CK group. On October 15, money poured in. The stock rose 9.97% to RMB 6.73, hitting the limit-up board.

A staff member in Jiacheng International’s securities department said the company had no relationship with Li Ka-shing. Only the name was similar. Some quantitative funds grab keywords for short-term speculation.

Hong Kong stocks barely moved. CK companies showed no unusual trading. CK Asset slipped 0.9% with the broader market. CK Hutchison fell 1.88%. CK Infrastructure fell 0.37%. Institutional investors dominate Hong Kong’s market. They wait for official confirmation. There was no sell-off.

The same pattern

From February’s “critically ill” rumor to October’s “death” rumor, the pattern repeats.

Post on social platforms. Self-media accounts repost. Someone forges an authoritative source. It trends. Officials deny.

Several things make this work. Li Ka-shing is 98 and rarely seen. Public information is thin. His name draws clicks. “Death” draws more. Old photos are easy to splice. A fake byline costs nothing.

CK Asset’s statement had one line: “It is deeply disappointed that media reposted fake news without verification.” Fake news moves from self-media to official accounts to the public. Each step makes the next one look more real.

Evening

On the evening of October 15, CK Asset did not issue a second statement.

Li Ka-shing did not appear. The trending list moved on. The photo from Victoria Peak remained on the foundation’s webpage. Blue vest. White long sleeves. The scooter parked by the roadside.

No new photo. Just left there.