 During his tenure, Jardines owned much of the richest land in Hong Kong, controlled two of the island's three profitable English newspapers, and has substantial interests in banking, shipping, insurance, utilities, streetcars and airlines and being agent for 77 major companies, trading products ranging from machine tools to fine Scotch throughout Asia.He sat in Hong Kong's governing bodies and the boards of its richest banks.He presided over a time when Jardine Matheson was at the peak of its economic and political power over Hong Kong.