Asia's Richest 2021: Top 10 In The Forbes World’s Billionaires List

Written by: Poppy Skinner Created: 12 July 2021

Meet the movers and shakers of the Asia Rich List

It seems that even in a global pandemic, you can’t keep a good man, or woman, down as Forbes confirmed: “The number of billionaires on Forbes’ 35th annual list of the world’s wealthiest exploded to an unprecedented 2,755––660 more than a year ago. Of those, a record high 493 were new to the list––roughly one every 17 hours, including 210 from China and Hong Kong.”

While the US might still lead the way with the likes of Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, China and the rest of Asia isn’t far behind. Here we meet the Top 10 Richest people in Asia.

 Mukesh Ambani

Mumbai-based Mukesh Ambani takes the top spot as the richest man in Asia thanks in part due to his role as Managing Director of Reliance Industries- which has stakes in oil, gas, retail and petrochemicals and also thanks to his unique way to keep up with the times. Ambani once famously said: “Anything and everything that can go digital is going digital. India cannot afford to be left behind.” His net worth comes in at US$84.5 Billion.

 Zhong Shanshan

Zhong Shanshan’s place on the list might come as a surprise for some as just last year his net worth was listed at US$2 Billion but it seems that the last year has been good to him with him coming in with a net worth of US$68.9 Billion this year. Where does it come from? Nongfu Spring, a bottled water company – earning him the moniker ‘Bottled Water King.’

Ma Huateng

Ma Huateng’s US$65.8 Billion comes to his role as chair of Internet giant Tencent Holdings which also ranks as one of China’s largest businesses. He has also been voted as the second richest man in China for three years running.

Colin Huang Zheng

At just 40, Colin has made his US$55.3 Billion fortune as the Chairman of online discount retailer, Pinduoduo, which is also one of China’s largest e-commercie sites. But this wasn’t his first step in the online world as Zheng had already founded online gaming company Xinyoudi and e-eommerce platform, Ouku.

Gautam Adani and family

The Adani family fortune comes from a couple of sources. Firstly is their control of India’s largest port, Mundra Port and secondly from the ownership of a variety of power and gas companies that have given them a net worth of US`$`66.5 Billion.

Jack Ma

Everyone knows Jack Ma as the co-founder of the Alibaba – the world’s largest e-commerce business. The fourth richest man in China is worth US$48.4 Billion.

Masayoshi Son

The richest man in Japan gets his US$45.4 Billion net worth from founding and running SoftBank Group – a mobile telecom and investment group.

Tadashi Yanai

Another entry from Japan sees Tadashi Yanai and his US$44.1 Billion from Fast Retailing – the parent company from Uniglo.

Wang Wei

Proving that people will always need solutions is Wang Wei’s company, S.F Holding – which is lovingly nicknamed ‘The Fedex of China.’ Wei holds a US$39 Billion net worth.

He Xiangjian

The sixth richest man in China gets his US$37.7 Billion net worth from the company he built, Midea Group which is one of the world’s largest appliance makers. Having stepped down in 2012, he was succeeded by his son, making it a family firm and fortune.

Written by: Poppy Skinner

Poppy covers a wide range of topics at Billionaire, having spent the past 13 years at companies including Singapore Tatler, Her World Plus and Harpers Bazaar UK. She has a passion for fashion, jewellery and travel as well as an avaricious fascination with crime novels. Follow her at poppypskinner on Instagram.