ByteDance (字节跳动) founder Zhang Yiming (张一鸣) has reclaimed first place on the 2026 Hurun China Rich List with 670 billion RMB ($100.5 billion), up 43%. Hurun Report chairman Rupert Hoogewerf said the gain was “almost all of it on the back of AI.” A record 1,529 people are worth over 5 billion RMB ($750 million). Nongfu Spring (农夫山泉) founder Zhong Shanshan (钟睒睒) fell to second with 410 billion RMB ($61.5 billion), down 23%, while DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng (梁文锋) debuted at seventh. Consumer fortunes fell broadly, with Xiaomi (小米) chairman Lei Jun (雷军) the biggest faller, his wealth halving to $25.1 billion.

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