The Hurun Research Institute released the Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World 2015, the sixth edition of the list of the world’s self-made female billionaires, and the Hurun Richest Women in China 2015, the tenth annual ranking of the 50 wealthiest women in China.

‘Touchscreen Queen’ Zhou Qunfei, 45, richest self-made woman in the world with US$7.8bn. 

Hurun Reports finds 73 billionaire self-made women in the world and remarkably, 49 of them are from China.

• 49 of the 73 or two thirds of the Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World 2015 are from China. Rupert Hoogewerf (right), Hurun Report Chairman and Chief Researcher said, “China is setting the global benchmark for women in business.”
• ‘Touchscreen Queen’ Zhou Qunfei, 45, storms straight in at Number One with US$7.8bn, pipping “Beijing Real Estate Queen” Chen Lihua, 74, with US$7.7bn, to the post of richest self-made woman in the world. Hoogewerf said, “It is unbelievable really that Zhou Qunfei, the most successful female entrepreneur in the world, was pretty much an unknown this time last year.”
• 8 of the Top 10 are from China. The highest non-Chinese was US-based ‘Blood-Testing Queen’ Elizabeth Holmes, 30, of Theranos. Holmes was the youngest self-made billionaire on the list.
• By place of birth, China dominates with 49, followed by the US on 14 and the UK and Spain with 2 each. Peggy Cherng, co-founder of US-based Chinese fast food brand Panda Express, was brought up in Hong Kong, although born in Burma.

Top 50 Richest Women in China

• 36 of the China Top 50 are self-made, or 72%, one more than last year. 8 are born in the seventies, and one in the eighties: media investor Wu Yan, 34, of Hakim.
• Of the 14 who inherited their wealth, the richest was Yang Huiyan, 34, of real estate developer Country Garden, with US$6.3bn.
• Industry. Real estate was the biggest wealth creator on the list, for one in four, followed by investments for 15% of the list.
• Cut-off to Top 50 was US$1.2bn, up 50% year on year; average wealth US$2.3bn, up 33%.
• Comparing the Top 50 Women with the Top 50 Men from the Hurun China Rich List, the men are on average four times as wealthy.
• Headquarters. Beijing and Shenzhen lead the way, with 11 and 10, followed by Shanghai with 5.
• Birthplace. Women born in Guangdong topped the list with 5, followed by Beijing. Women born in Zhejiang are under-represented, since the Zhejiang businessman leads the Hurun Rich List 2015, but there are only 2 women on the Top 50.
• New faces. 14 new faces, one less than last year, of which all but one are self-made.
• Political Appointments: 7 individuals or 14% have senior political appointments, one more than last year, a higher percentage than that of the Hurun Rich List 2015 (11.3%).
• Average age is 46, two years younger than last year and 8 years younger than those on the Hurun Rich List 2015.

The Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World has grown at its fastest rate ever, up almost half on last year to include 73 female dollar billionaires.

Top 10 Richest Self-Made Women in the World

Geographical spread

49 live in China, making up a remarkable 67%. The US follows a distant second with 15 living there, followed by the UK on 3.

Three women emigrated from their birthplace: Russian-born construction tycoon turned investor Elina Baturina emigrated to the UK after making her money. Burma-born Peggy Cherng of Chinese fast food brand Panda Express, was brought up in Hong Kong before moved to the US, where she set up Panda Express with husband Andrew. ‘Australian Telecoms Queen’ Vicky Teoh of TPG was born in Taiwan, then moved to Malaysia, before emigrating to the US with husband David to Australia, where they set up TPG.

Hoogewerf said, “Cherng and Teoh were born or brought up in Greater China, suggesting that Greater China have contributed to 70% of the world’s most successful women today.”

Only ten countries in the world produced self-made female dollar billionaires. Other than China and the US, the others were the UK, Spain, Brazil, Burma, Italy, Taiwan, Nigeria and Russia.

The Situation in China

The Hurun Richest Women in China 2015 is a ranking of the 50 wealthiest women in China and includes both self-made as well as inherited wealth.

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