Benny Chan loses to Charmaine Sheh by 500,000 yuan [October 1, 2011]

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Benny Chan loses to Charmaine Sheh by 500,000 yuan
Octorber 1, 2011





Former TVB artists Benny Chan and Hawick Lau have been earning money in Mainland for several years and their salaries have already jumped to the 20s (hundred thousands). They can basically careless about the TVB poaching crisis. Aside from exposing his own salary of 200,000 yuan per episode, Benny exposed ex-rumored girlfriend Charmaine Sheh salary reached up to 250,000 yuan when she switched over to the Mainland market! That’s 50,000 yuan more than him.

Next year, Hong Kong will have 3 additional free TV stations. City TeleCom Chairman Ricky Wong tossed in 5 billion HKD to start his new and free local TV station. This started the whole poaching crisis in which he directly targeted the salaries of local HK artists! However, Benny and Hawick already left HK to develop in Mainland 5-6 years ago. Today the two already earn several thousand HKD per episode more than when they were in TVB. The ‘increase’ has already reached to 200,000 yuan per episode, which jumped about 20 times. In a year, they can easily shoot 30 episodes and earn over 10 million yuan! HK artists are really scrambling for these types of earnings!

Benny joked to reporters that they shouldn’t be using his salary for the big headlines, otherwise he might get kidnapped! However, he said frankly he did noticed ‘ex-lover’ Charmaine Sheh signed with a Mainland company. He exposed her salary reaches 250,000 yuan per episode, which is a financial pay off to all the day and night enduring she’s done while with TVB. This really makes people sigh with regret that artists aren’t respected. Benny smiles as he sends a message to HK artists: “For performing arts, come to China. To sacrifice for performing arts, stay in HK! (Will you go back to maternal home [TVB] and go into war for them?) Lee Tim Shing was the first person who asked me to shoot a series, if he asks, I will be back even if I don’t get paid!”

As for Hawick Lau, he is gaining popularity in Mainland. He earns 10 million yuan every year and has no desire to shoot HK series. He said frankly, in the early years HK artists aren’t respected, now that there are a few more TV stations joining in, artists can finally be respected. Hawick reveals his father,Lau Dan, was also targeted by Ricky Wong. As for himself, he didn’t get a poach call, no wonder he laughs: “Why isn’t anyone asking me? (You make so much, how can anyone afford to hire you?) I’m just saying! It’s a happy feeling to get poached. If there is a good script and co-stars, I don’t mind coming back to help out. (Who will you help?) Deanie Ip!”

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: aZnangel @ AsianEU Forum