Tech, AI leaders expand China’s 2026 rich list
The number of people worth more than 5 billion yuan (US$750 million) hit a record 1,529, surpassing the previous peak of 1,460 in 2021, according to Tuesday’s Hurun China Rich List.
Beijing has witnessed an unprecedented surge in mega-wealthy individuals this year, as highlighted by the annual Hurun China Rich List. Tech giants, such as DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, have contributed significantly to this trend. Liang, who debuted at number seven with a net worth of US$41.7 billion, is among 263 new entrants, most of whom hail from industries like semiconductors, AI, and robotics.
The list's prominence underscores China's dual economy, where tech fortunes are flourishing, contrasted with a decline in traditional wealth. According to Rupert Hoogewerf, Hurun's chief researcher, 60% of the top 100 richest individuals made their fortunes in sectors targeted by China's 2015 Made in China 2025 plan. ByteDance's Zhang Yiming, who held the top spot in 2024 with a fortune of US$99.7 billion, reclaimed the title this year.
His company, which includes TikTok and Douyin, boasts nearly 420 million monthly active users for its AI chatbot Doubao, outpacing domestic competitors. Other notable figures on the top 10 include CATL founder Robin Zeng, Tencent's Pony Ma, NetEase's William Ding, and Cambricon's Chen Tianshi. DeepSeek is reportedly on the verge of a record-breaking 100 billion yuan funding round, which would value the company at around 500 billion yuan.
The Hurun China Rich List for women also revealed that touchscreen maker Lens Technology's founder, Zhou Qunfang, maintained her position at the top with a US$18.9 billion fortune.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
