Global Group founder and chairman Johnny Hon on how to identify investment opportunity—and how to act on it
Global Group Focus
If variety is the spice of life, then Johnny Hon’s spice rack is overflowing. The Hong Kong international investor, philanthropist and founder of the Global Group, with interests ranging from augmented reality to musicals like Sunset Boulevard, has worked around the world, including stints in the Middle East, the UK and Eastern Europe.
With such a multifaceted and multidimensional lifestyle, it’s hard to believe he once considered a career in the more strictly defined field of medical research. But after obtaining a doctorate in psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, this seemed like the natural path to take. Instead, he went into business.
“I prefer to learn different things,” says Hon. “Moreover, the sector had become commercialised, with much of the medical community’s research based on pharmaceutical investments.”
Hon was convinced that he could do more good by expanding his horizons. Today, he invests in diverse business ventures that span the globe, with a healthy portion of the profits donated to a variety of worthy causes.
“My philosophy was that by getting into business, I could make more money and help more people, so philanthropy is an important part of this process,” says Hon. “We’ve donated to more than 160 charities worldwide and half of the money we’ve made goes towards helping charities in developing countries.”
When it comes to managing such diversified global interests, Hon’s background and training in psychiatry play a key role. “I always remember that there is no more complex thing on earth than the human brain and the human personality,” he says. “Managing human capital is much harder than managing financial capital. That’s the biggest challenge; master it and you are on the road to greatness.”
While there is certainly no single road to success, Hon believes there are some distinct, guiding blueprints to getting there: never stop learning, lead by example, inspire people and, not least, work harder than everyone else.
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Hon works especially hard at understanding human motivations. When it comes to investing in startups, the person, he has learned, is always more important than the business plan.
