The latest Forbes China Rich list reveals that real estate tycoon Wang Jianlin is now the richest man on the Chinese mainland, a first for the business mogul.
Wang, chairman of the Dalian Wanda Group, one of China's largest real estate developers, possesses a total net wealth of 86.01 billion yuan (US$14.1 billion), much higher than his overall 48.8 billion yuan last year, thanks to the recovery of the real estate industry and the company’s expansion into the entertainment industry.
Zong Qinghou, chairman of one of China's largest beverage makers Hangzhou Wahaha Group, dropped to a second place this year, with a net wealth of 68.32 billion yuan (US$11.2 billion), a slight increase from his 61 billion yuan in 2012.
Robin Li, founder and CEO of China's search engine giant Baidu, ranks third. His personal wealth increased 18.3 billion yuan over the past year, reaching a total of 67.71 billion yuan (US$11.1 billion).
According to the report, the number of well-off Chinese with a personal wealth of over US$1 billion now reaches a record high of 168, compared with 133 last year. The accumulated wealth of the top 400 richest Chinese people totals at 3.47 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 35 percent.
A large number of rich people stem from the consumption and service industries, pharmaceutical and medical, cultural and entertainment, as well as mobile Internet.
The following are the top 10 richest people in China of 2013 as ranked by Forbes.
Liu Yongxing(劉永行)
Net worth: US$6.1 billion (372.1 billion yuan)
Age: 65
Position: Chairman of East Hope Corp.
Source of Wealth: Agribusiness, self-made
Residence: Shanghai, China
Country of citizenship: China
Marital Status: Married
Children: one