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Intriguing billionaire heiress
She is a self-confessed rebel with an uber-rich dad, an indie music rocker who revels in playing prostitute roles. No wonder Forbes magazine decided to put Josie Ho on its 20 Most Intriguing Billionaire Heiresses list.
Josie, the daughter of Hong Kong casino tycoon Stanley Ho - worth US$7 billion ($10b) - is No 8 on the list, which was compiled by Forbes editors and released last week.
Only the truly deserving heiresses who boast of their own achievements in areas of business, sports or the arts made the list.
In short, no Paris Hilton, but the likes of Vanisha Mittal of the Mittal Steel empire and accomplished equestrian Georgina Bloomberg.
Josie, 33, is an indie rocker with several films to her credit - including Naked Ambition, which won her a Best Supporting Actress trophy at the Hong Kong Film Awards.She is the only Chinese woman in the list comprising mostly Americans.
The Forbes report also pointed out that ‘she even dishes on the often unglamorous details of her gigs on her blog, JosieHo.com .
Like her latest posting, dated 16 Nov, where she recalled how she bruised her knee in Beijing in a Mr Bean-like sprint-and-dive moment on stage.
Josie has yet to comment on the Forbes list, as she is busy recording a new album. Her father and older sister Pansy, however, expressed joy and pride when interviewed by the Hong Kong media.
A beaming Mr Ho, 86, said he knows Josie has always wanted to win a Best Actress award. Although it is not easy, she is trying her best and he hopes she will succeed.
Josie had a hard time trying to break into the Hong Kong showbiz scene because of who she is. She told Changsha Wanbao recently: ‘Having a rich father didn’t give me any benefits... Everyone assumes I’m just doing it for fun. No one believes I’m serious.’
Her parents initially objected to her showbiz dreams, but she calls herself the ‘little black sheep’ of her family. ‘I’m the rebel,’ she told Squatmagazine.com.
On her controversial role in the movie Naked Ambition, Josie told the magazine: ‘I love playing prostitutes. I think it’s really controversial compared to my own background.
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