SIX CHINESE AMONG WORLD’S TOP TEN RICHEST SELF-MADE WOMEN
Embargo 13 October 2007 Beijing time * Source: Hurun Richest Women in China October 2007
HURUN REPORT RELEASES SECOND ‘HURUN RICHEST WOMEN IN CHINA’, SPONSORED BY QIANXI
GLOBAL TOWN
▪ PAPER QUEEN ZHANG YIN AND REAL
ESTATE DEVELOPER ZHANG XIN ARE THE TWO RICHEST SELF-MADE WOMEN IN WORLD
▪ 26-YEAR OLD YANG HUIYAN
INHERITED US$17.5 BILLION FORTUNE FROM FATHER, MAKING YANG THE RICHEST ASIAN
WOMAN
Last year, Zhang Yin became the richest self-made woman in the world. This year
six of the top ten richest self-made women in the world are from Mainland
China.
Paper Queen Zhang Yin, 50 years, has cemented her place as the richest self-made
women in the world after seeing her wealth triple to US$10 billion. The second
richest self-made woman in the world is also a Chinese, Zhang Xin (no relation
to Zhang Yin), 42-year old co-founder of Beijing real estate developer SOHO
China, which listed this month in Hong Kong.
Top of the 2007 Hurun Richest Women in China is 26-year old Yang Huiyan with
US$17.5 billion. Her fortune originates from her 59.5% share in property
developer Country Garden, founded by father Yang Guoqiang, who transferred his
shares to Yang Huiyan on her graduation from university in the US.
“The success of Chinese women in business has taken everyone by surprise,” says
Rupert Hoogewerf, publisher of Hurun Report, a luxury business magazine with an
audited circulation of 60,000/ “The stories of these women tell the story of
Chinese women in business.”
Dramatic changes in the role of Chinese women.
Since winning equal status in the eyes of the law after 1949, women have
begun to play a more active role in Chinese society, but it was not until the
economic reforms of 1978 that women had the opportunity for economic
independence. Chinese women also have a shorter career break from childbirth,
partly as a result of the one-child policy limiting them to one child only, and
partly a result of the tradition that children are brought up by the
grandparents. This is in stark contrast to the Western world, where women often
have more than one child and then bring them up themselves. Last year was a
breakthrough when Zhang Yin became the first women to top the Hurun China Rich
List.
Some stats
The average wealth of the richest women jumped five-fold to US$1.1 billion, up
from US$240 million last year, mainly as a result of the large wealth increases
of Yang Huiyan, Zhang Yin and Zhang Xin. The average age is 43.9 years, slightly
lower than last year’s average of 44.5 years.
Table - Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World
Six of the top ten richest self-made women in the world are Chinese, led by
Zhang Yin and Zhang Xin. Below is a list of the fourteen self-made female
billionaires in the world.
Rank
Wealth US billion
Name
Source of wealth
Country
1
10*
Zhang Yin
Together with her husband and brother, Zhang controls 72% of Nine
Dragons Paper.
China
2
3.6*
Zhang Xin
Co-founder of SOHO China, a Beijing real estate developer
China
3
3.4^
Rosalia Mera
Owns 7% of apparel maker Inditex
Spain
4
3.1^
Elena Baturina
Wife of Moscow mayor. Started plastics company, expanded into
construction and now has assets in private equity fund
Russia
5
2.9^
Guiliana Benetton
Co-founder of Benetton empire
Italy
6
2.7*
Chen Lihua
The closest China has to aristocracy, Chen owns real estate in the
heart of Beijing and China’s most exclusive private members club.
China
7
1.8*
Zhu Linyao
Fragrances & Flavouring
China
8
1.5^
Oprah Winfrey
Celebrated US television hostess
US
9
1.4*
Huang Xi
Finance, Real estate
China
10
1.3*
Chen Ningning
Steel, iron trading, real estate
China
11=
1.3*
Zhang Yunqin
Co-founder of China Pacific Construction
China
11=
1.3^
Margaret Whitman
CEO of eBay
US
13
1.1^
Mary West
Co-founder of telemarketer West Corp
US
14
1.0^
JK Rowling
Harry Potter author
UK
^ Source: Forbes World Billionaires March 2007
Interesting Women
• Zhang Xin is the financier behind high-profile Pan Shiyi, a Beijing property
developer, and owns all the shares in SOHO China, which won a listing in Hong
Kong this month. Graduating from Cambridge University, UK, in 1992, Zhang went
on to get international banking exposure at Goldman Sachs.
• Secretive Xue Lixi, 30 years, is the youngest self-made women on this year’s
list. Xue has an investment vehicle that invests into listed companies.
• Wu Yajun is the largest real estate developer in Chongqing and is tipped to go
public within the next year.
• Dai Weili is the Shanghai-born co-founder of Nasdaq-listed Marvell.
• The closest Beijing has to an aristocrat, Chen Lihua owns Regent Hotel Group’s
Asia flagship in Beijing, and has been developing a significant plot of land a
stone’s throw from the Forbidden City. Chen also owns the Chang’An Club, China’s
most exclusive private members club.
• Zhang Yunqin is the wife of civil construction king Yan Jiehe. Yan transferred
all his shares in China Pacific Construction to her this past year.
• 39 year-old Yang Lan has been building up “Her Village”, a fast-growing
community, and is about to launch a line of fine jewelry together with music
star Celine Dion. Her husband Bruno Wu runs the couple’s business investments.
• Liu Chang is the daughter of Liu Yonghao, a former number one on the Hurun
Rich List. Liu Chan owns 36% of New Hope Group.
• Liu Miao is the mother of Zhu Baoguo, founder of the Taita brand and majority
shareholder of JointCare.
• Zhang Lan founded South Beauty, a chain of spicy Sichuan restaurants. A Canada
returnee.
• Shi Xiaoyan has built Illinois Furniture into a leading furniture brand.
• Li Yifei is the high-profile head of MTV China. Her husband Wang Chaoyong runs
a private equity fund as well as the China Team for the America’s Cup, a sailing
race.
Hurun Report thanks Qianxi Global Town for its support of the 2007 Hurun Richest
Women in China. Qianxi Global Town is a luxury property development in Qingdao,
Shandong Province.
For the full listing, please click here.