Griffin vs Zhong Shanshan

Citadel and Nongfu Spring.

The differences

Forbes puts Zhong Shanshan about $3.9B ahead of Ken Griffin.Forbes figures from 2 Sep 2026 and 7 Oct 2026.
Both started the company their money comes from.
Zhong Shanshan is about 14 years older than Ken Griffin.
Ken Griffin is from United States; Zhong Shanshan is from China.

Put someone else on either side

Griffin

Zhong Shanshan

Net worth, Forbes: $57.4BForbes, 7 Oct 2026; $61.3BForbes, 2 Sep 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $57.5BBloomberg, 13 Oct 2026; $61.5BBloomberg, 14 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 33Real-Time list, 30 Sep 2026; No. 31Real-Time list, 2 Sep 2026
Billionaire since: Not stated; 2020On the 2020 Forbes Billionaires List (published April 2020) at No. 1,063 with $2 billion; the earliest appearance in the cited sources, not necessarily his first

How it started: Founded itFounded Citadel in 1990, a year after graduating; established Citadel Securities with partners in 2002; Founded itFounded Nongfu Spring's predecessor in September 1996, and Yangshengtang in 1993; Forbes labels him self-made
Main source: Citadel hedge fund business and Citadel SecuritiesBloomberg: 'The bulk of Ken Griffin's fortune is derived from the money he's made managing Citadel Advisors'; Nongfu Spring stock, then Beijing Wantai stockBloomberg: 'the majority of Zhong Shanshan's fortune is derived from his 84.5% stake in Nongfu Spring'
Companies: Citadel, Citadel SecuritiesCitadel: Founder, CEO and co-chief investment officer; Citadel Securities: Founder and non-executive chairman; Nongfu SpringNongfu Spring: Founder, chairman, executive director and general manager
Biggest stake: Citadel85% owned; Nongfu Spring84.0379% owned

Born: 15 Oct 1968Florida, United States; 1954Hangzhou, China
Country: United StatesLives in Miami, Florida, United States; ChinaLives in Hangzhou, China
Education: Bachelor's degreeAB with honors in economics, Harvard College (1989); No universityLeft elementary school during the Cultural Revolution
Parents: Father was a General Electric engineer on the space program; mother studied childhood education; his grandmother paid his Harvard tuition from her savings; Not stated

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Not a signer
Foundation: Griffin CatalystHis civic engagement and philanthropy initiative; Zhongziyi Education FundInitiated, founded and controlled by Zhong, per Nongfu Spring's listing document; it funds private universities and schools
Lifetime giving: $2.5BForbes, 9 Feb 2026. Forbes' lifetime giving estimate; Griffin Catalyst says he has donated more than $5.7 billion; Not stated

Role now: Runs the companyFounder, CEO and co-CIO of Citadel; founder and non-executive chairman of Citadel Securities; Runs the companyChairman and general manager of Nongfu Spring; chairman of Yangshengtang
Successor: None namedCitadel's leadership page lists Pablo Salame as co-CIO; no CEO successor and no family members in executive roles; None namedHis son Zhong Shu Zi is a non-executive director of Nongfu Spring and has been assistant to the general manager since March 2026
Public office: None found; None found
Legal record: None found; None found