In February, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer a few months prior and he had since recovered after receiving treatment.
Ho previously served as a standing committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
He oversaw the operations of Sing Tao News Corporation as chairman before he sold his shares in 2021.
The businessman also inherited the Hong Kong Tobacco Company from his grandfather, Ho Ying-chie, who founded the firm.
In 2014, Ho was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Star by the government under then-Chief Executive CY Leung.
Paying tribute on social media on Thursday, Leung called the news “a shock” and said the two had met over dinner just several weeks ago.
The former SAR leader had words of praise for Ho, who he called a “philosophical person”.
Leung added that Ho “had a keen understanding of politics and the world, and never said one thing and meant another”.
