Samantha Ko Supports Family, Passes Rental Income to Mom

Having tasted hard times, the 33-year-old actress is keen to give her family a good life.

Once labeled as a “vase” due to her voluptuous figure after participating in Miss Hong Kong, Samantha Ko (高海寧) has gradually gained viewer recognition by working her way up slowly but steadily. The 33-year-old actress, who is seen in three recent back-to-back dramas Death by Zero <殺手>, On-Lie Game <迷網> and Al Cappuccino <反黑路人甲>, has found financial stability in her career. Purchasing an apartment five years ago for investment purposes, Samantha gives the extra rental income to her mother.

Came to Hong Kong When She Was 13

Samantha’s closeness with her family can be attributed to her humble experiences growing up. Arriving in Hong Kong from Nanjing when she was 13, her family of five had stayed on a 300-square-foot rooftop shack of a building in Mongkok’s women’s market, where she shared a room with her two brothers who were 7 and 10 years younger than her.

Despite the conditions, she has fond recollections of life back then, “We had many happy memories and I didn’t think of it as a complicated environment, as the tenants were all humble folks working hard to make a living.” Instead of letting the limited space get to her, she found It “heartwarming” that everyone in the family ate and watched television together, and grew more close-knit.

Grateful for Family’s Support During Her Cash-strapped Moments

During the lowest point in her career, Samantha had just tens of dollars left in her bank account back then. “I didn’t want to tell my family that I was broke or ask them for cash–I kept a tight watch on whatever I spent,” she shared. Supporting her silently, Samantha’s mother would deposit money into her account to make up the minimum 100 Hong Kong dollars required so she would be able to make withdrawals.

Starting from 2010, the actress starting earning a stable income by her own efforts and acquired two apartments in Yau Tong’s Peninsula East for HK$526 million. The acquisition had been influenced by her mother. “My mother thinks having an apartment would provide a sense of security. I had already wanted to buy an apartment in 2008 for my family. At that time housing prices were low, but by the time I saved up in 2012 to 2013, prices had doubled and I couldn’t afford it. I only saved up enough for the down payment in the year 2015.”

Hands Rental Income to Her Mother

Adding that it was stressful to make mortgage payments, Samantha knew she had to work doubly hard. “Back then I had to do 20 percent for down payments, 20 percent for the mortgage, and another 60 percent via bank loans to complete the purchase, so I had to work hard to clear the mortgage.” Fortunately, jobs started coming in and the apartments she owned also started increasing in value, reportedly rising to HK$8.5 million – six times that of the prices she had acquired them at.

Stressing that family and health are her top priorities, Samantha shared her motivation of giving her family a more comfortable lifestyle. The filial daughter also hands all the rental incomes she collects from her apartments over to her mother, on top of passing her a separate monthly sum for household expenses.

Source: Hket

This article is written by JoyceK for JayneStars.com.