A Chinese website has compiled a list of the richest people in China, who will soon probably be the richest people in the world. Familiarize yourself.
Hurun, a Chinese website, has compiled just such a list for you. There are 1,363 yuan-billionaires on the list (that means worth over $150 million), up from 1,000 last year. Most of the richest come from the industries you would expect in a rapidly booming and modernizing economy: construction, technology, and luxury goods. And drinks. Two of the top 10 sell soda or energy drinks.
The richest man in China is Zong Qinghou, who owns a soda company called Wahaha. He is worth $12 billion, according to the report.
The next five are:
Li Li and family, owners of Hepalink, a pharmceutical company that makes heparin, a drug used to fight heart disease. $5.9 billion.
Zhang Yin and family, owner of Nine Dragons paper. Zhang is China's richest self-made woman (i.e., she didn't inherit any of her wealth). $5.6 billion.
Liang Wengen, owner of Sany, a heavy machinery company. $5.4 billion.
Li Yanhong, owner of the popular search engine Baidu. $5.3 billion.
Yan Bin, owner of Ruoy Chai, which sells Red Bull in China. $5.3 billion.