China’s 5 richest billionaires see combined net worth hit over $310B

1. Zhong Shanshan – founder of bottled water producer Nongfu Spring

Zhong Shanshan, Chairman of Nongfu Spring Co., Ltd., delivers a speech at a press conference in Beijing, China, May 6, 2013. Photo by Imaginechina via AFP

Zhong Shanshan’s wealth mainly stems from Nongfu Spring, China’s leading packaged water supplier, which he founded in 1996.

The firm in August posted earnings of 7.6 billion yuan (US$1.1 billion) on revenues of 25.6 billion yuan in the first half of 2025, up 23% and 16% year-on-year, respectively.

This marked the highest levels of profit since at least 2019 and signaled a rebound after the brand faced a consumer boycott the previous year over alleged Japan-inspired design elements and its impact on a local rival, according to Bloomberg.

The 70-year-old’s wealth jumped from $50.8 billion in last year’s ranking to $77.1 billion in the latest list, maintaining his top spot for the fifth consecutive year. The latest ranking measures net worth as of Oct. 17, 2025.

2. Zhang Yiming – founder of tech firm ByteDance

Zhang Yiming, founder of ByteDance, speaks at a forum during the 2nd World Internet Conference in east China's Zhejiang province, Dec. 17, 2015. Photo by Imaginechina via AFP

ByteDance’s popular short video app TikTok narrowly avoided a shutdown in the U.S. earlier this year after U.S. President Donald Trump approved a plan in September that required the platform’s American operations to be placed under a new joint venture backed by U.S. investors.

Under the arrangement, a consortium led by Oracle will handle TikTok’s data, infrastructure and regulatory compliance in the country. ByteDance will keep a 20% stake and receive half of the U.S. profits while its key algorithm technology will stay in China.

The deal has ignited private trades of ByteDance shares, with shares changing hands at a valuation of around $350 billion, up from $300 billion earlier this year, according to the Australian Financial Review.

The net worth of its founder, 41-year-old Zhang Yiming, rose nearly 52% from a year ago to $69.3 billion.

Zhang founded ByteDance in 2012 and later resigned as its CEO and chairman in 2020-21, but still owns a stake in the company.

3. Ma Huateng – CEO and chairman of internet giant Tencent Holdings

Ma Huateng, co-founder, CEO and chairman of Tencent Holdings. Photo by Reuters

Ma Huateng, or Pony Ma, co-founded internet services company Tencent Holdings in 1998.

The firm is known for its WeChat social messaging app and for being one of the largest video game publishers in the world.

Over the past year, Tencent’s share price has climbed more than 40%, driven by stronger online gaming revenue and a jump in advertising on its superapp Weixin, the name for WeChat in China. The firm has also been investing in artificial intelligence, according to Forbes.

Ma’s wealth has risen more than a third to $62.8 billion, but he still dropped a spot to third place on the list.

4. Robin Zeng – founder of battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology

Chairman and CEO of Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) Robin Zeng speaks during the Lanting Forum in Shanghai on April 21, 2023. Photo by AFP

Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) has become a dominant force in the global electric vehicle battery market. Founded by Robin Zeng in 1999, the company supplies major carmakers such as Tesla, BMW and Geely.

The battery giant completed a secondary listing in Hong Kong in May, raising $4.6 billion — the biggest listing of the year — while its existing shares continue to trade in Shenzhen, per Reuters.

In its latest earnings update, CATL reported net income of 18.5 billion yuan for the third quarter, a 41% increase from a year earlier and roughly matching analyst expectations. Revenue also grew, though not as strongly as projected.

The company retained its global leading position with 36.8% of installed EV battery capacity in the first eight months of 2025, according to SNE Research.

Zeng, 56, saw his net worth go up by 44% within the last year to $53.5 billion. He ranked fifth in last year’s list.

5. William Ding – founder of online game company NetEase

William Ding, founder of NetEase. Photo by Reuters

William Ding, 54, climbed into the top five this year with a net worth of $47.5 billion, taking the spot vacated by PDD Holdings founder Colin Huang.

Most of Ding’s wealth comes from his stake in NetEase, one of the world’s largest online gaming companies, which has also expanded into films, e-commerce and music streaming.

The firm’s stocks traded at around a four-year high in May after rising 45% since the start of the year. The rally has been fueled by strong spending from younger consumers and renewed investor enthusiasm for China’s gaming sector.

Regulators in China have also seemingly taken a more supportive stance toward the sector and the broader tech industry.