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When Esther Wong was in high school, she would skip the subjects she did not like and instead head to the library to read books with subject matter she did like. That love of learning stayed with her as she went from studying hospitality management to building a career on Wall Street before transitioning into the world of artificial intelligence and her current role as the CEO and co-founder of 3C AGI Partners, an AI venture fund based in Hong Kong.
Victoria Tang-Owen, a Hong Kong designer and creative director, recently met with Wong to find out how a lifelong thirst for knowledge helped her achieve career and financial success, and also ask what wealth means to her. As both women share an affinity for cooking, their conversation began over a cake-baking session, then moved on to the HSBC Premier Elite Wealth Centre at the International Commerce Centre to continue over coffee.
“I’ve always been a very curious person, and I love to expand my knowledge horizons,” Wong tells Tang-Owen. “I do believe that all the knowledge, once you learn, it gives you a different perspective. So the more different subjects that you learn [about], the broader [the] perspective you have in life.”
Tang-Owen observes that an appetite for knowledge can be an important part of an elite mindset, to which Wong responds: “Loving to learn also forces you to expand your horizons and put yourself in slightly unfamiliar, uncomfortable situations.”
She adds: “Think about your life as a company. You are your own life CEO.”
Wong has ample experience with going outside her comfort zone, having pivoted from hotel management school to studying physics before embarking on a career in finance. By her 20th year on Wall Street, she had enough financial stability to consider retiring at age 40. Wong also found out she was pregnant, which she says “forced me to think about what was the best for my daughter”.
During that time, Wong read a research paper that would lead her into a new phase of her career. It was about programming computers to recognise human faces, and the topic piqued her interest enough to seek out the professor who wrote the paper. The author turned out to be Professor Tang Xiao’ou, one of the founders of the Hong Kong-headquartered AI software company SenseTime.
Inspired by Tang’s vision for SenseTime, Wong decided to join as another founding member, and also served as managing director spearheading investments and partnerships. During her five years with the company, she saw it grow from a start-up with a staff of 50 to a tech unicorn with 5,000 employees.
Looking back on her career journey, Wong says: “I think success is what ultimately makes you feel very happy, and being in a situation where you are truly authentic to fulfil your potential.”
When asked what wealth means to her, Wong breaks it down into three aspects: the financial freedom to do what you love, the freedom that comes from having good health, so you can enjoy the fruits of your labour, and the support provided through loving relationships.
“These three pillars combined would be a very encompassing definition of wealth,” she says.
Reflecting on her time with Wong, Tang-Owen says it gave her a new perspective on success and wealth. “My conversation with Esther really reminded me that a love of learning and the willingness to pivot are powerful levers for growth,” she adds. “Her insights on mindset and wealth reframed success as a holistic journey.”
Check out the video to watch Victoria Tang-Owen and Esther Wong make Swiss roll cakes and pay a visit to the HSBC Premier Elite Wealth Centre. This is the fourth and final episode of “The Elite Equation”, a four-part series sponsored by HSBC Premier Elite where host Tang-Owen meets stand-out individuals from the worlds of fashion, sport and business to find out what drives them to be the best as they pursue their passions.
HSBC on the wealth solutions it offers through HSBC Premier Elite:
1 Available to Professional Investors only.
2 As of December 3, 2025, according to the bond lists published online by major retail banks in Hong Kong.
3 As of December 15, 2025, according to the public market information from major retail banks in Hong Kong.
Investment involves risks. Terms and conditions apply.
“HSBC” refers to The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited.
Disclaimer from the South China Morning Post:
This article is produced in partnership with HSBC for general informational purposes only. The views expressed by featured individuals are their own and do not constitute medical, insurance or financial advice. The South China Morning Post and featured individuals disclaim all liability for, and do not endorse or guarantee, any products or services offered by HSBC or its affiliates (including HSBC Life and HSBC Premier Elite).
