Key Points
Quick Facts: China’s Richest (October 2025)
- #1 Zhong Shanshan: RMB 530 billion (Nongfu Spring founder)
- #2 Zhang Yiming: RMB 470 billion (ByteDance founder)
- #3 Ma Huateng: RMB 465 billion (Tencent founder)
Status: Position changed hands 4 times in 2024-2025
China’s top 5 richest individuals as of October 2025 - Source: Hurun Rich List
Current Champion: Zhong Shanshan
As of October 2025, Zhong Shanshan holds China’s richest person title with a record RMB 530 billion. The 71-year-old founder of Nongfu Spring reclaimed the top spot for the fourth time, with his wealth increasing 42% from the previous year.
Wealth Sources:
- Nongfu Spring (bottled water giant)
- Wantai BioPharm (pharmaceutical company)
Close Second: Zhang Yiming
Zhang Yiming, 42, ranks second with RMB 470 billion. The ByteDance founder became the first “post-80s” self-made richest person in China earlier in 2025. Success Story:
- ByteDance revenue grew 35% to RMB 520 billion in 2024
- TikTok/Douyin dominate global and Chinese short video markets
- Doubao AI reached 157 million monthly users
The Top 5 Right Now
- Zhong Shanshan (Nongfu Spring): RMB 530 billion
- Zhang Yiming (ByteDance): RMB 470 billion
- Ma Huateng (Tencent): RMB 465 billion
- Lei Jun (Xiaomi): RMB 326 billion (+151% growth)
- Huang Zheng (Pinduoduo): RMB 265 billion
Lei Jun achieved the highest wealth growth, jumping 151% and returning to top 5 for the first time since 2015.
Why It Keeps Changing
The title has changed hands multiple times in 2024-2025:
- October 2024: Zhang Yiming topped with RMB 350 billion
- November 2024: Zhong Shanshan led with $50.8 billion
- March 2025: Zhang Yiming reclaimed #1 with RMB 435 billion
- October 2025: Zhong Shanshan set new record at RMB 530 billion
Main Reasons:
- Stock market volatility affects company valuations
- Different ranking methodologies (Hurun vs Forbes)
- Tech and consumer sector fluctuations
- Private company valuation changes
Future Contenders
Hurun chairman identifies five potential future richest:
- Lei Jun (Xiaomi): If robotics technology takes off
- Robin Zeng (CATL): Strong new energy vehicle growth
- Liang Wenfeng (DeepSeek): If AI valuation reaches trillion RMB
- Zhao Changpeng: Cryptocurrency market activity
- Chen Tianshi (Cambricon): Computing power market expansion
Global Comparison
China’s richest on the world stage (2025 Hurun Global List):
- Zhang Yiming: 22nd globally (RMB 435 billion)
- Zhong Shanshan: 24th globally (RMB 405 billion)
- Ma Huateng: 31st globally (RMB 320 billion)
For comparison, Elon Musk topped global rankings with RMB 3.07 trillion, the first person to exceed $400 billion.
The Bottom Line
Current Answer (December 2025): Zhong Shanshan is China’s richest person with RMB 530 billion, but Zhang Yiming and Ma Huateng are close behind. This ranking changes frequently based on market conditions and company performance.
China now has 1,434 billionaires with wealth exceeding RMB 5 billion, with total wealth approaching RMB 30 trillion. The dynamic nature of this ranking reflects China’s rapidly evolving economy where innovation and market forces quickly reshape the wealth landscape.
Source: Hurun Rich List October 2025 - Rankings fluctuate with market conditions