Benjamin Qiu

**Benjamin Robert Qiu** (born 25 August 1953) is a Hawaiian politician and businessman who has served as minister of innovation and technology in the Kanazawa ministry since 2021. Additionally, Qiu has represented Lanai in the House of Representatives since 2010, and is a member of the Hawaii National Party.

Qiu was born in Lanai City, Lanai to Chinese parents who owned a luxury boutique hotel on the island. Qiu attended Lanai High and Elementary School, graduating in 1971. Afterwards, he moved to Maui and studied business administration at Maui College, graduating in 1975. He subsequently returned to Lanai, and began working at his family's hotel in management. In 1995, his parents retired from their careers, and Qiu became the new owner of the hotel. He later expanded his hotel empire, and opened a second luxury boutique hotel in Maui in 2001, and later a third in Oahu in 2008. After entering politics in 2010, he resigned from his positions within the hotel industry and promoted his eldest son to head of the Qiu Hotels Corporation.

Qiu entered politics in 2010, when he stood as a candidate in Lanai in the 2010 general election for the Hawaii National Party. He was ultimately elected to parliament, and later took his seat in the House of Representatives on 19 July 2010. After entering politics, Qiu focused on economic issues, taxation, and rural issues. He was later reelected in the 2014 and 2018 general elections. Following the promotion of Betty Akizuki in January 2021, Qiu was nominated by Kenzie Kanazawa to serve as minister of innovation and technology in her cabinet, taking office on 5 January after being appointed by Queen Keʻalohilani.

Qiu's net worth is estimated at $554.5 million, making him the richest member of the Hawaiian parliament. His fortune is estimated to come from the Qiu Hotels Corporation, real estate acquisitions, and stock.

## Early life and education

Qiu was born on 25 August 1953 in Lanai City, on the island of Lanai, to Chinese parents Donald (*Qiu Wei-min*; 1928–2005) and Linda Qiu (*Qiang Li-na*; 1930–2011). Both of his parents are from Shijiazhuang in North China, and immigrated to Hawaii together in 1949. After arriving in Hawaii, they first settled in Honolulu, until moving to Lanai in 1951, after purchasing a piece of land to construct a boutique hotel. Qiu is the eldest of three children and only son; his younger sisters are Michelle (born 1956) and Denise (born 1958). While the family was initially of modest means, by the 1960s, their hotel had become very successful, and the family was quite wealthy.

Qiu began his education in 1958, attending public schooling at Lanai High and Elementary School, the only public school located in Lanai. He began high school in 1967, where he was an honors student. Qiu later graduated from high school in 1971, and moved to Maui to enroll in Maui College, receiving a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1975.

## Business career

After receiving his bachelor's degree, Qiu returned from Maui to his hometown in Lanai. He was hired by his father as a senior vice president at the family hotel Paradaisolani. In the position, Qiu was in a position of executive leadership at the hotel. Qiu assisted his father in moving the hotel from a simple boutique hotel to a luxury resort, and the premier resort in Lanai. By 1985, the resort was valued at $10.5.

In 1995, Qiu's parents retired from their careers in the hotel industry, and they passed the company off to Qiu. As the new owner and president, Qiu reformed the family business from a single resort to a brand of hotels, creating the Qiu Hotels Corporation. The corporation opened their second resort in 2001, located in Maui, and later a third resort in 2008, in Oahu. By 2010, the corporation was worth $243.5 million. After entering politics in 2010, Qiu left the Qiu Hotels Corporation and passed the business down to his eldest son Jonathan Qiu.

## Political career

### Early politics

Qiu began his political career in 2010, when he was included as a candidate for the HNP in Lanai during the 2010 general election. He ultimately was elected to parliament, and later took his seat in the House of Representatives on 19 July 2010.

Upon entering politics, Qiu focused his legislating on primarily economic issues, taxation, and rural issues. He situated himself on the crossroads between the centrist and center-right blocs of the HNP, endorsing Cristine Hyodo Larson in the 2010 Hawaii National Party leadership election but Peter Sutherland in the 2018 leadership election. He was reelected to parliament in the 2014 and 2018 general elections.

### Innovation and technology minister

In January 2021, Betty Akizuki resigned as minister of innovation and technology in order to take office as minister of justice. Her resignation came into effect on 5 January 2021, and Qiu was nominated by Kenzie Kanazawa to replace her in the Kanazawa ministry. He was later appointed by Queen Keʻalohilani that day. As innovation and technology minister, Qiu is responsible for overseeing overseeing the overseeing the economic development and corporate affairs of Hawaii.

## Personal life

Qiu began a relationship with Chinese homemaker Wendy Fu (*Fu Wenge*) in 1977. Fu was the daughter of Qiu's mother's friend back in China, and Qiu's mother arranged for Fu's immigration to Hawaii in order for her to meet and begin dating her son. They became engaged after six months of dating, and married six months afterwards. Qiu and Fu have three children together: Jonathan (born 1979), Julianne (born 1983), and Peter (born 1986).

Qiu and his family own a six-bedroom estate on the outskirts of Lanai City, valued at $10.5 million, while additionally owning an eight-bedroom mansion in East Honolulu valued at $7.5 million. They split their time between Lanai City and Honolulu, with Qiu residing in Honolulu for government business. Qiu is fluent in Mandarin and English, and does not speak Hawaiian.