In 1955, Yue-Kong (Y.K.) Pao bought his first vessel, a 27-year-old coal-burning freighter renamed the Golden Alpha. Twenty-five years later, the company house flag was flying on board nearly 200 vessels, the largest fleet ever assembled in private ownership.

In 1978, Y.K. Pao was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2003 he was selected by readers of shipping magazine Fairplay as the most influential person in shipping in 120 years. Pao was succeeded as Chairman by his son-in-law Dr. Helmut Sohmen from 1986-2014, and from 2015 by his grandson Andreas Sohmen-Pao.

Today, BW Group is a major player in the maritime industry, managing the worlds largest owned fleet of Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs) and the second largest fleet of Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units. Golden Alpha comprises one of the teams investing on behalf of the family investment office.