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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Keeping tabs with the richest Chinese has become a common affair as their net worth might present some invaluable insights for the market in general. Despite seeing a slump in their commerce post-pandemic in 2020, China currently boasts 814 billionaires, according to Statista.
While certain billionaires have consistently held their spots in the top 10 richest Chinese individuals for years, others also rise rapidly as their net worth grows. Read on to see the complete outlook.
10 Richest Chinese in the World
According to the latest Forbes billionaires chart, Zhong Shanshan will be the richest Chinese in the world in 2024. Other names on the list are as follows:
1. Zhong Shanshan - $50.8 billion
Zhong Shanshan is currently the richest Chinese in the world for his chain of businesses. As the CEO of Nongfu Spring, Zhong's primary source of wealth comes from the water bottle and tea drink company he oversees.
Despite maintaining his number one position as the richest man in China, Zhong's net worth has fallen several times from a total of $68 billion last year, with one of his companies, Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy, a supplier of Covid tests, being the main reason for the fall.
2. Ma Huateng - $46.8 billion
Ma Huateng, also known as Pony Ma, founded web media company Tencent in 1998 and now owns 7.4% of the company. In addition to developing one of China's most popular messaging platforms, We Chat, Tencent also holds a stake in Epic Games, one of the U.S. video game companies.
3. Zhang Yiming - $45.6 billion
The founder of ByteDance, one of Tiktok's parent companies, Zhang Yimin, is the third richest Chinese person in the world. As the world grappled with the effects of the pandemic, people around the world were all about this short video social media platform, taking the company's reputation to a whole new level.
The Global Unicorn Index 2024 named ByteDance as one of the top 10 most valuable unicorn companies in the world. In addition to TikTok, ByteDance also operates Douyin, a popular social media platform in China, adding to its valuation. Even after all these achievements, Zhang Yiming will step down as the company's chairman in 2021.
4. Colin Huang - $43.9 billion
Colin Huang, one of China's richest individuals, saw his net worth increase significantly last year. Huang is the founder of PDD Holdings, the company behind Chinese e-commerce platform Temu. By 2023, his fortune had reached $30.2 billion, making him the fourth richest billionaire in the country.
5. Robin Zeng - $37.1 billion
As chairman of one of the world's largest electric vehicle battery suppliers, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), Robin Zeng is now declared the fifth richest Chinese in the world. Thanks to CATL, which was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2018, Zeng's net worth is a staggering $37.1 billion. To date, his company remains a notable supplier to major automakers such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Geely.
6. He Xiangjian & family - $28.6 billion
He Xiangjian led the Shenzhen Midea Group for more than 30 years. He was the co-founder of the Group, where he successfully transformed it into one of the largest home appliance manufacturers in the world. In 2012, He Xiangjian stepped down as chairman and handed over the high-level position of Midea Group and Midea Real Estate Holding to his son, He Jianfeng.
7. William Ding - $27.4 billion
Ranked as the seventh richest Chinese in the world, William Ding is an eminent figure in the gaming industry. The CEO of Nasdaq and NetEase, Ding's net worth has skyrocketed in the past year, largely due to the widespread fame of his gaming chains. In addition, William Ding had the second-best growth among the top ten richest men in China.
8. Jack Ma - $25.2 billion
Once named as the richest Chinese man alive, Jack Ma is definitely a familiar face on the richest person in China list for this year's edition. Jack Ma co-founded Alibaba, the giant e-commerce company that contributed most of his fortune. According to Reuters, Alibaba revealed plans to split the group into six separate businesses, each with its own CEO and board of directors. This is the most significant restructuring in the company's 24-year history.
9. Wang Chuanfu - $22.8 billion
Born in 1966 in a farming village in one of China's poorest provinces, Wang Chuanfu became an awe-inspiring icon after building BYD, a rechargeable battery company, into one of the largest EV companies in the world. In 2008, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway was announced to have bought a 10% stake in BYD for $230 million, creating more fund opportunities within the company's environment.
10. Lei Jun - $19.9 billion
Lei Jun rounds out the list of the world's richest Chinese individuals with a net worth of $19.9 billion, according to Forbes. His staggering earnings are largely due to the smartphone brand Jun co-founded, Xiaomi. According to the latest news, Xiaomi launched its SU7 electric vehicle in March 2024.
Exploring the travels of the world's richest Chinese provides a fascinating look into their remarkable achievements, as well as China's evolving economic landscape. For more compelling news about wealthy figures, see also the richest men in Canada.
Forbes
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