ChinaFounded it
Zhong Shanshan
Zhong Shanshan founded the Chinese bottled-water and beverage company Nongfu Spring in 1996 and chairs it; most of his fortune is his stake in Nongfu Spring, plus a controlling stake in the vaccine and test-kit maker Beijing Wantai.
- Forbes estimate
- $61.3B
- Forbes, 2 Sep 2026
- Forbes rank
- No. 31
- 2 Sep 2026
- Stake in Nongfu Spring
- 84.0379%
- Net worth, Bloomberg
- $61.5B
- Bloomberg, 14 Oct 2026
- Born
- 1954
- Hangzhou, China
- Education
- No university
- Left elementary school during the Cultural Revolution
- Giving Pledge
- Not a signer
Where the fortune sits
Nongfu Spring stock, then Beijing Wantai stock
Nongfu Spring
bottled water and beverages, founded 1996
17.1543% directly and 66.8837% through Yangshengtang, which he wholly owns; Bloomberg cites 84.5% from the 2025 annual report
Nongfu Spring announcement on continuing connected transactions, 16 Dec 2025
Founder, chairman, executive director and general manager
Other holdings
Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy
About 73%, directly and through Yangshengtang, per Bloomberg's reading of Wantai's 2025 third-quarter report; publicly traded maker of vaccines and hepatitis test kits
Yangshengtang
Wholly owned (98.38% directly, 1.62% through Hangzhou Youfu); food, health products, cosmetics, biopharmaceuticals and investment
Where Zhong stands among 73
Everyone on the site, grouped by their answer. Zhong Shanshan is outlined.
How the fortune started
Founded it
Founded it 42
Inherited and grew it 12
Built it up 8
Inherited it 6
Through marriage 5
Industry
Food and drink
Food and drink 3
Technology 24
Finance 10
Several industries 9
Metals and mining 6
Retail 4
Fashion and beauty 4
Media 3
Shipping 3
Crypto 2
Oil, gas and chemicals 2
Healthcare 1
Casinos and resorts 1
Property and sports 1
Giving Pledge
Not a signer
Not a signer 61
Signed 11
Not stated 1
Education
No university
No university 5
Bachelor's degree 27
Graduate degree 24
Left university without a degree 6
Not stated 11
Role today
Runs the company
Runs the company 32
Chair, board or owner 25
Founder, no executive role 8
No role 4
Retired 4
The person
- Born
- 1954Hangzhou, China
- Citizenship
- China
- Lives in
- Hangzhou, China
- Education
- No universityLeft elementary school during the Cultural Revolution
- Parents
- Not stated
What they give
- Giving Pledge
- Not a signer
- Foundation
- Zhongziyi Education FundInitiated, founded and controlled by Zhong, per Nongfu Spring's listing document; it funds private universities and schools
- Lifetime giving
- Not stated
Role and record
- Role now
- Runs the companyChairman and general manager of Nongfu Spring; chairman of Yangshengtang
- Successor
- None named
- Public office
- None found
- Legal record
- None found
