Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong’s undisputed dealmaking king, has made about ￡30bn in investments over the past decade, spanning retail, energy and infrastructure. His sons Victor and Richard have carved out their own reputations for sealing billion-dollar buyouts around the globe.

But the elder Mr Li’s investment in videoconferencing group Zoom, whose market capitalisation has ballooned by $47.9bn since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in January, has shone a light on another star investor connected to the family — one who has often remained in the shadows.

Solina Chau, Mr Li’s long-term companion and head of a group that invests his money, has for years been the force behind many of the technology bets credited to Hong Kong’s “superman”, as 91-year-old Mr Li is known.