Former Jardine Matheson chief who shaped Asian trade dies at 86

Sir Henry Keswick‚ a key figure in Asian trade who led Jardine Matheson for many years died this week at 86. Born in Shanghai during pre-war times he witnessed his familys trading empire face big changes in China (including his fathers shooting by a Japanese person in 41)

His early life mixed privilege and challenge: studying at Eton being a royal page for the Queens coronation about 70 years ago‚ and watching his familys company leave mainland China. After military service and Cambridge he went to Hong-Kong in the early 60s where he started by “selling make-up in Borneo jungles“

As the youngest-ever taipan – head of Jardines operations – Keswick ran the company with old-school style from 70 to 75. The firm owned many things in Hong-Kong:

• Hotels and ferries
• Big office buildings
• Food stores
• Banking business

Moving back to London he bought The Spectator for £75k; picking his Eton friend Alexander Chancellor as editor – the only journalist he knew. The magazines reader numbers were low but Chancellor made it popular again. After about 6 years Keswick sold it for £100k when his political dreams didnt work out

With his brother Simon Keswick they moved the company to Bermuda before Hong-Kongs return to China. Their business choices werent always good – like losing money on Trafalgar House – but the companys main work kept making profits. He stepped down from running things about 5-6 years ago

At his Wiltshire home he had a special building made by I.M Pei; and owned Scottish land where sadly thieves took a Henry Moore statue worth £3m about 9 years ago. His wife Tessa (who helped the Conservative party) died couple years back