1. Zhang Yiming – TikTok owner maintains the richest position in China
According to Forbes data updated to July 15, 2026, billionaire Zhang Yiming's assets reached 69.3 billion USD, ranking 29th in the world and continuing to be the richest person in China.
Mr. Zhang Yiming is the co-founder of ByteDance - a technology corporation that owns TikTok, a short video platform with more than 1 billion users globally. Although he withdrew from management since 2021, he still holds a significant stake in ByteDance, thereby maintaining his leading position in the Chinese billionaire rankings.
2. Zhong Shanshan – "Bottled Water King" holds the runner-up position
Second in the list is billionaire Zhong Shanshan with assets of 591 billion USD, ranked 33rd in the world according to Forbes.
He is the founder and Chairman of Nongfu Spring, China's largest bottled water company. In addition, Zhong Shanshan also owns a significant stake in Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy, a company operating in the field of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, helping him maintain his position in the group of the richest people in Asia.
3. Ma Huateng – Tencent owner continues to be in the top
The third richest person in the populous country is Ma Huateng (Pony Ma). He owns assets of 48.4 billion USD and is currently ranked 37th in the world.
As Chairman and CEO of Tencent Holdings, Ma Huateng built a technology empire spanning from video games, digital payments, cloud computing to social networks. In which, WeChat - Tencent's "super app" - currently has about 1.4 billion active users per month, becoming an indispensable platform in the digital life of Chinese people.
4. William Ding – NetEase online game billionaire
In fourth place is William Ding (Ding Lei), founder and CEO of NetEase, with assets of 41.9 billion USD, ranked 47th in the world.
He is the founder and CEO of NetEase, one of the largest video game development and publishing groups in China. In addition to the game segment, NetEase also expanded its operations to online education, digital music and many other Internet services.
5. He Xiangjian - Family Group ranks No. 5
Closing the list of the 5 richest people in China is Mr. He Xiangjian and his family with assets of 34 billion USD, ranked 64th in the world.
Billionaire He Xiangjian is the founder of Midea Group - one of the largest household appliance manufacturers in the world. From air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines to industrial robots, Midea's products are currently distributed in more than 200 countries and territories, helping the business maintain its leading position in the global household electricity industry.
