It’s not easy to run a casino, no matter where it is located, but it certainly can make your bank account grow faster and help you to become a millionaire. Stanley Ho, for example, didn’t receive the title “King of Gambling” overnight. He definitely had to work very hard for that, but right now he’s considered one of the richest persons in Asia. Ho, an entrepreneur in Hong Kong and Macau, received that name to reflect the government-granted monopoly he held of the Macau gambling industry for over 35 years. Actually, when thinking about the gambling industry in Macau, Stanley Ho is the first thing that comes into mind – Ho is Macau and Macau is Ho

Nevertheless, it seems that the “King of Gambling” not only likes to make a lot of money, but also to use it to buy extravagant pieces of art. This week, for example, he paid more than 1.75 million dollars for an imperial throne, during a Christie’s auction. The throne, which dates back to the reign of the Qing Dynasty emperor Kangxi, more than 300 years ago, will probably be placed in one of his many casinos in Macau.

One thing for sure, Ho can certainly afford this latest acquisition. In fact, he could buy right now another gambling venue or two without noticing, thanks to an estimated net worth of 7 billion dollars, which – according to Forbes – ranks him at the 104th place among the riches of the world in 2007. Besides gambling facilities, Ho owns many properties in both Hong Kong and Macau and he is also involved in other kinds of business, including tourism, real estate, banking, and air transport.