The Hong Kong property tycoon who made headlines in September when he first offered up $65 million to the man who could woo his daughter, currently in a relationship with another woman, is still hoping to convert her.
Cecil Chao recently opened the doors of his palatial home to the Financial Times and opened up about why he first offered the $65 million dowry and why he is still holding out hope for his daughter, Gigi.
“It all came about because of some gossip magazine people," Chao, who claims to have slept with 10,000 women in his lifetime, explained to the Financial Times. "They called me saying my daughter had got married in Paris. I was shocked. Gigi is still young and beautiful. She has 70% of her life to go.”
Gigi, who has dated both men and women, reportedly entered a civil partnership with her girlfriend of seven years, Sean Eav, in Paris, according to the Telegraph. But her father has denied any reports of a union.
“She can choose whatever she wants," the 76-year-old tycoon told the Financial Times. "But anyone who comes along to pursue Gigi, we will give them a moderately deluxe life. I would not force her to marry a man. But obviously I would, from my point of view, prefer her to be married and to have grandchildren.”
The 33-year-old, who is a director at her father's company, found his offer "entertaining" and said she is a "really lucky girl to have such a loving daddy," the Telegraph previously reported.
But despite Gigi's acceptance of her father's lack of acceptance, things have not been so easy for her partner.
"My partner Sean is upset about the public’s reaction," the heiress told HK Magazine. "She tries to brush it off most of the time, but she’s quite upset. For every relationship, it’s not really just a one-sided thing. For Sean, she is getting over a lot of emotional issues that she has with my parents."
Continuing, "It requires a lot of patience and commitment to make a relationship work -- not just in romantic relationships, but within the family as well. Dealing with conflicting opinions is just a reflection of how you deal with conflicting opinions within yourself."
Gigi's father's views on homosexuality are not unheard of in Hong Kong, where the issue of gay rights has lagged.
Activists have blasted Hong Kong's lack of protective policies against discrimination based on sexual orientation, according to CBC News. A person can be fired, barred from housing or denied a service in the country simply for being gay.
"The society is deeply divided over this issue," the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said in a statement, according to the news outlet. "While some are in support from the perspective of equal opportunity, others worry that launching a consultation exercise may cause undesirable impact on family, religion and education."
Editor's note: The use of the word "lesbian" in this story and headline is meant to refer to Gigi's current relationship with another woman. It is unclear if she identifies as a lesbian, bisexual, queer or some other orientation.
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