He may not have a name recognizable to People Magazine devotees, but Lap Shun “John” Hui has been an important player in the high-stakes world of technology for decades. In the ’90s, the China-born businessman founded the now-defunct personal computer brand eMachines, which he sold to Gateway in 2004 for about $290 million, per Forbes. Two years later, he purchased the PC company Packard Bell, which was soon flipped to desktop manufacturer Acer, reportedly for another nine-figure sum.
Thanks to his lucrative entrepreneurial ventures, Hui could’ve easily retired years ago, but the hard-charging 66-year-old remains a major player in the tech universe. These days, he’s the Chief Strategy Officer of Foxconn, the Taiwanese juggernaut founded by billionaire Terry Gou that is now the world’s largest electronics manufacturer. Foxconn is also the globe’s biggest manufacturer of iPhones and iPads, and has nearly 1.3 million employees worldwide. (In addition to that powerful exec role, Hui is Chairman and CEO of Smart Technologies, a Canadian company that has been a Foxconn subsidiary since 2017.)
After more than 20 years spent living in Bradbury Estates, an exclusive guard-gated community tucked deep into L.A.’s San Gabriel Valley, Hui is ready for new residential pastures. His longtime mansion has popped up for sale for the very first time ever, asking nearly $11 million. Custom built for Hui by local mansion specialists Mur-Sol Construction, the palatial home was completed in 1999 and spans nearly 11,300 square feet of living space, with seven bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms. But more importantly, the property is situated on 6.55 scenic acres of hillside land, a very rare commodity in the greater L.A. area.
Property records indicate Hui still co-owns the property with his ex-wife, retired Hong Kong film actress Pauline Wong. The pair acquired the estate way back in 1997, when it was little more than vacant land, for a paltry $555,000.