The Hurun Research Institute released an updated Hurun Rich List 2014, the 16th annual ranking of the richest individuals in China and Jack Ma of Alibaba, 50, becomes the 11th Number One in 16 years of the Hurun Rich List, with a fortune of US$25bn, surpassing Wang Jianlin of Wanda in second place with US$24.2bn.

• Despite the scale of Alibaba’s IPO, only Jack Ma and one other shareholder make the list, Xie Shihuang.
• There are 354 dollar billionaires, up 39 on last year.  10 years ago there were only 3.
• ‘Renewable Energy King’ Li Hejun, 47, of Hanergy makes the Top 3 for the first time, with US$20.8bn.
• 3 of the Top 6 speak fluent English: Jack Ma, Li Hejun and Robin Li, demonstrating the globalization of the Chinese private sector.
• 819 saw their wealth grow (last year 672) of which 343 (last year 115) were new faces.
• Total wealth comes to US$1.4 trillion, more than the GDP of countries like Spain or South Korea.
• 5 new faces in the Top 10: Jack Ma, Li Hejun, Yan Jiehe, Liu Qiangdong and Lei Jun.
• 26 are under forty and self-made, two of whom are dollar billionaires: Chen Ou, 31, of Jumei with US$1.5bn, and 34-year old Zhang Bangxin, 34, of TAL Education worth US$1.05bn. Rupert Hoogewerf (right), Hurun Report Chairman and Chief Researcher said, “The entrepreneurial spirit that has caught China seems not to be abetting, with 8 self-made individuals born in the eighties making the list. Any country would be proud of that.”
• IT has seen the biggest boom. 5 of the Top 10 are in IT. It’s been a good year for entertainment, investments, cars, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing. It has been a bad year for steel and shipping. Manufacturing and real estate are the primary source of wealth for almost half the list.
• Social Media. 7 of the Top 10 on the Hurun Rich List are amongst the most popular social media bloggers, showing the huge impact these individuals are having in China. Real estate tycoon Pan Shiyi is the newly-crowned ‘social media king’ with 27m followers, followed by actor and investor Jet Li.
• Going global. Wang Jianlin of Wanda and Guo Guangchang of Fosun have been leading the global charge of the Hurun Rich List. Rupert Hoogewerf, Hurun Report Chairman and Chief
• Researcher said, “TheHurun Rich List has seen more action on the international front than in the previous 15 years added together.”
• 8 of the Fortune Global 500 are controlled by people from the Hurun Rich List, led by Yan Jiehe of China Pacific Construction, which came in at Number 166.
• Residences. Beijing is the city of choice to live in with 180 individuals living there, 40 more than last year.Shanghai, surprisingly, comes in third behind Shenzhen again.
• Anti-corruption campaign. 18 of last year’s list are in varying degrees of trouble with the authorities, of which 11 still made the list this year.
• 12% are self-made women, led by Chen Lihua, 73, the most successful businesswoman in the world.
• Political appointments. 166 of the Hurun Rich List, up 13 from last year, are either delegates to the 12th NPC or CPPCC. 7 are members of the standing committee of the 12th National People’s Congress, 8 are vice chairmen of the All-China Federation of Industry and Trade. 40% of the Top 50, almost triple the average on the list, have senior political appointments.
• Chinese star signs. It has been a good year for dragons and oxen, and a bad year for rats and pigs. Rabbits lead the way for the umpteenth year. The richest man, Jack Ma, is a dragon, traditionally viewed as one of the most powerful of the Chinese star signs. Wang Jianlin is a horse.
• Hainan Clearwater Bay of Agile, a luxury holiday home development targeted at Chinese from across the country, is title sponsor of the Hurun Rich List for the 6th successive year.

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