Mainland China is home to roughly 539 billionaires as of early 2026, concentrated in major cities. How many billionaires are in China, and who is the richest? The wealthiest is Zhang Yiming, worth about $69 billion from his stake in ByteDance, parent of Douyin and TikTok. This guide profiles the nation's wealthiest and where they live.
China is home to hundreds of ultra wealthy individuals, with the majority of them residing in the country’s major cities. Industries such as Technology, Food & Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Internet & Gaming, and E-commerce have allowed these billionaires to become rich.
How many billionaires are in China?
Mainland China is home to roughly 539 billionaires as of early 2026, with the majority of them residing in the country’s major cities. The largest concentrations remain in Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou, which together account for the majority of the nation’s billionaires, with further notable clusters in Ningbo, Chengdu, Changsha, Xiamen, and Ningde.
Top 5 Billionaires in China 2026
Who has the highest net worth in China?
1. Zhang Yiming
Zhang Yiming is a self-made male billionaire born in 1983. As of 2026, he is China’s richest person with a net worth of approximately 69 billion U.S. dollars, ranking in the top 30 globally. His wealth comes primarily from his stake in ByteDance, the parent company of the video platforms Douyin and TikTok. He is reported to live primarily in Singapore while retaining Chinese citizenship.
2. Zhong Shanshan
Zhong Shanshan is a self-made male billionaire born in 1954. As of 2026, his net worth is approximately 68 billion U.S. dollars, placing him second in China. His business interests span the Food & Beverage and Pharmaceuticals industries, primarily through the bottled-water company Nongfu Spring and a controlling stake in vaccine maker Beijing Wantai. He is based in Hangzhou, in eastern China.
3. Ma Huateng
Ma Huateng, also known as Pony Ma, is a self-made male billionaire born in 1971. As of 2026, his net worth is approximately 54 billion U.S. dollars. His wealth is primarily derived from Tencent, a leading internet, media, and technology company behind WeChat. He is based in Shenzhen, in southern China.
4. William Ding
William Ding, also known as Ding Lei, is a self-made male billionaire born in 1971. As of 2026, his net worth is approximately 38 billion U.S. dollars. He made his fortune through his stake in NetEase, the online gaming and internet company he founded in 1997. NetEase is headquartered in Hangzhou, in eastern China.
5. Colin Zheng Huang
Colin Zheng Huang is a self-made male billionaire born in 1980. As of 2026, his net worth is approximately 36 billion U.S. dollars. His wealth is primarily sourced from e-commerce through PDD Holdings, owner of the Chinese shopping platform Pinduoduo and the international marketplace Temu.
Sources:
Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2026
VnExpress – Mainland China’s Top 5 Billionaires 2026
Statista – Number of Billionaires in China
Last updated: June 19, 2026
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