5 of China’s richest men in 2025

5. Robin Zeng (Net worth: $37.1 billion)

Robin Zeng, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), has capitalised on the rising demand for clean energy and electric vehicles. CATL, a key supplier for automakers such as BMW, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Geely, holds a nearly 40% share of the global power-battery market. Despite a revenue dip last year, the company's net profits grew by 15% due to lower raw material costs. Zeng has also expressed interest in expanding CATL's operations to the U.S., depending on future policies regarding Chinese investments.

4. Colin Huang (Net worth: $43.9 billion)

Colin Huang, a former Google engineer, founded Pinduoduo in 2015, successfully entering China's competitive e-commerce market dominated by Alibaba and JD.com. Rebranded as PDD Holdings in 2023, the company also launched Temu in 2022, challenging online retail giant Shein. Although Huang stepped down as chairman in 2021, he remains a significant shareholder. Once China's richest person, his fortune took a hit after PDD's stock value dropped by nearly 29% in August 2024, costing him $14 billion.

3. Zhang Yiming (Net worth: $45.6 billion)

Zhang Yiming's company, ByteDance, has transformed the global social media landscape, particularly with TikTok, which has over a billion users worldwide. In China, ByteDance operates Douyin, a similar platform for domestic users. 

2. Ma Huateng (Net worth: $46.8 billion)

Ma Huateng, also known as Pony Ma, is a co-founder of Tencent Holdings, one of China's largest tech firms. Tencent started in 1999 with QQ, an instant messaging service inspired by ICQ. Over the years, Tencent expanded into online gaming, digital payments, and social media, launching WeChat in 2011. WeChat has since become China's dominant messaging app, with over a billion users. On a personal note, Ma met his wife, Wang Danting, in a chat room on QQ after the platform launched.

1. Zhong Shanshan (Net worth: $50.8 billion)

Unlike the other names on the list, Zhong Shanshan built his fortune outside of the tech industry. A school dropout who worked in various fields before becoming an entrepreneur, Zhong founded Nongfu Spring, China's leading bottled-water company. He also holds significant shares in Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise, a firm specialising in medical testing kits and vaccines. 

These five individuals represent the changing landscape of China's wealth, spanning industries from technology to essential consumer goods.

Source:https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3302786/5-chinas-richest-men-2025-net-worths-ranked-founder-tiktoks-parent-company-tencents-pony-ma-and-ceo