Evergrande's founder amassed billions in dividends before crisis

When Hui Ka Yan was cruising the world in a private jet, splurging on mansions and jewellery at the peak of China’s Gilded Age, his extravagant lifestyle barely stood out among the country’s burgeoning billionaire set.
 

Now the China Evergrande Group founder’s property empire is teetering on the edge of default — and his pers­onal fortune has landed squarely in the Chinese government’s crosshairs.
 

As Evergrande struggles to meet obligations to creditors, suppliers and homeowners, authorities in Beijing are urging Hui to alleviate the crisis with his own wealth. The directive came after Evergrande missed an initial September 23 deadline