A new shopping centre at Tsimshatsui owned by Mr Lau's Chinese Estates Holdings was named The ONE, at an unveiling on Tuesday. Those in the know will recall that he bought front-page ads in local newspapers on June 20, 2006, to wish Reis, his ex-girlfriend, a happy 36th birthday. He signed off the ads anonymously with 'The One' and later owned up to them.

But on Tuesday, Mr Lau's son, director Lau Ming Wai, fended off questions about the link, saying the name was chosen to reflect the 29-storey building as the tallest and pioneering shopping mall in Hong Kong. 'The ONE' is a simplified name to reflect these attributes, he said.

Reis married magnate Julian Hui last year.