The secretive billionaire who launched a hostile takeover bid for China’s largest property developer has emerged as one of the country’s richest people, illustrating how leveraged financial investments are propelling huge increases in private wealth.
According to the Hurun Report’s annual China Rich List, Yao Zhenhua’s net worth surged more than nine times to $17.2bn last year, making him the country’s fourth richest person. Last year he was ranked 204th.
Wang Jianlin, the entertainment mogul behind a series of high-profile acquisitions in Hollywood, and internet tycoon Jack Ma retained their spots at the top of the list, with fortunes of $32.1bn and $30.6bn respectively.