On November 7th， the 2025 Forbes China Mainland Rich List was released， indicating that two-thirds of the individuals on the list saw their wealth grow. This suggests a generally positive economic climate for the country’s wealthiest individuals and potentially a recuperación economic in certain sectors.
Zhong Shanshan， the founder of Nongfu Spring， has secured the top spot for the fifth consecutive year. His wealth has increased by a remarkable $26.3 billion， reaching a total of $77.1 billion. This substantial gain makes him the individual with the largest absolute increase in net worth on the list. The strong performance of Nongfu Spring， a leading bottled water and beverage company， with double-digit growth in both net profit and revenue in the first half of 2025， directly contributed to his continued dominance.
Zhang Yiming， co-founder of ByteDance， has seen his net worth surge by $23.7 billion， propelling him to second place with a total fortune of $69.3 billion. This rise highlights the continued global success and expansion of ByteDance’s various platforms， especially in the digital content and social media spheres.
Ma Huateng， Chairman of Tencent， experienced a wealth increase of over one-third， bringing his net worth to $62.8 billion， ranking him third. Tencent’s diverse portfolio， encompassing gaming， social media， and cloud services， continues to be a significant driver of wealth for its leadership.
Forbes noted the immense popularity of the Labubu dolls， which has significantly benefited the toy industry. Wang Ning， the founder of Pop Mart， emerged as the member with the largest percentage increase in net worth on the list， with his wealth more than tripling from the previous year to $22.2 billion. This rapid growth underscores the booming collectibles market and the successful niche Pop Mart has carved out within it.
Among the eight new entrants to the list this year， Liang Wenfeng， founder of DeepSeek， holds the distinction of having the highest net worth， standing at $11.5 billion and ranking 34th. The emergence of DeepSeek， likely in the artificial intelligence or technology sector， indicates the ongoing innovation and investment in these high-growth areas within China.
The minimum net worth threshold for inclusion on the list increased from $3.9 billion last year to $4.6 billion this year. Consequently， 14 individuals fell off the list， including Wang Jianlin， former chairman of Dalian Wanda Group， who previously held the title of China’s richest man. This shift signifies increased wealth accumulation among the top tier and potential challenges faced by some established business empires.
