David SK Lee

David SK Lee is a Hong Kong born, American businessman. Lee is Chairman and CEO of the Hing Wa Lee Group of companies based in Los Angeles, California. He is also a philanthropist, business leader and a noted collector of rare Ferraris. Lee served as Commissioner of the Small Business Reform Task Force for the State of California and sits on the board of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.
David SK Lee transformed his father's (Hing Wa Lee) successful gem import business into one of America's top independent luxury watch and jewelry retailers. Hing Wa Lee was named a Top 10 Best Retailer in America by International Watch Magazine's Leading Watch Retailer.
Early life
David S.K. Lee was born in Hong Kong in 1969, the son of Chui Ling Fung and Hing Wa Lee, a renowned jade carver, who had escaped the turmoil of mainland China in the early 1960s. At the age of seven David and his family left Hong Kong to join their father in Washington, DC where Hing Wa Lee had been commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution to restore their extensive jade collection. In 1980 the family moved to Los Angeles and opened the Hing Wa Lee Gallery, a gemstone and Asian art showroom in downtown Los Angeles. Lee attended Whittier Christian High School where he was active in the Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He subsequently attended the University of Southern California where he received a B.S. in Business Administration with emphasis on Entrepreneur Studies from the Marshall School of Business.
Career
Upon graduating from the University of Southern California in 1992, Lee joined the family business and quickly led the transformation of Hing Wa Lee Gallery from wholesaler to major luxury retailer. In 1993 Hing Wa Lee jewelers expanded to include luxury watches and currently showcases over 30 top brands such as Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, Richard Mille, Franck Mueller, Breguet and Cartier at their state of the art flagship retail showrooms in San Gabriel and Walnut, California.
The Hing Wa Lee Group has expanded to include significant commercial real estate holdings as well as real estate brokerage and property management services under the Brilliant Realty division.
Business leadershipU
Lee is a board member of the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and Executive Advisory board member for USC's Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneur Studies. He is also a member of the USC Widney Society, which recognizes alumni whose gifts exceed one million dollars. Lee is a guest lecturer of USC graduate students in retail management and mentors students in the school's Career Advantage Program. He also supports Flintridge Preparatory School in La Canada, California where the David S.K. Lee Family Plaza was dedicated in June, 2014. Lee is a board member and actively involved in SPARC, Student Philanthropists Advancing Real Change.
Ferrari collection
Lee is recognized as having one of the most complete Ferrari supercar collections in existence. He currently owns a Ferrari 288 GTO, 288 GTO EVO (one of only five), Ferrari F40, Ferrari F50 and Enzo Ferrari . In August, 2014 Lee was invited to display all five cars from his collection at The Quail Motorsports Gathering at the Pebble Beach classic car weekend.
Lee's Ferrari collection also includes a Ferrari 275 GTB, a Ferrari 330 GTS and in August, 2014 he paid a record $2.2 million at the Pebble Beach Gooding & Co. auction for a 1964 Ferrari Lusso.

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