And the mainland's rich are getting richer. The aggregate wealth of the top 50 adds up to about US$10 billion (about HK$78 billion), equivalent to nearly one per cent of the country's gross domestic product. Last year, the lowest-ranking member of the list had 'only' US$6 million in assets. This year, number 50 - motorcycle-maker Yin Mingshan - has assets worth US$42 million.

Even so, there is continuity at the top. Rong Yiren, the founder of China International Trade and Investment Corp, is number one again this year. His family's wealth weighs in at a hefty US$1.9 billion, or nearly one-fifth of the list's total.

At 84, Mr Rong is the oldest person on the list and a man whose life epitomises modern Chinese history. His family's business empire was confiscated in 1956, and he was subjected to often violent denunciations by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. But he survived and, in 1978, was handpicked by Deng Xiaoping to rebuild the country's industrial base.

The Cultural Revolution's disruptive impact is evident throughout the top-50 list. Seventeen of its members - most of whom were teenagers at the time - were forced to leave school during the chaos that reigned from 1966 to 1976. Some of them have returned to their studies, at least on a part-time basis, but even so, 21 of the mainland's 50 richest people have not attended university.

One of those who left school at 15 is 11th-ranked Li Xiaohua, now estimated to be worth US$250 million. He demonstrates the creative spirit and entrepreneurial zeal that, barring further political and social upheaval, could transform China. Starting with little more than a fresh-juice machine, which he used to slake thirsts along the beaches of Beidaihe, Mr Li has built a real-estate empire, had a star named after him and become the first mainlander to own a Ferrari.

The top-50 list - compiled by Mr Hoogewerf, a chartered accountant and Chinese degree holder - is bursting with similar tales.

Take 39th-ranked Chen Rong. Raised in a poor peasant family, he used a decade's worth of savings - US$250 - to start a small clothing workshop. Then, by adopting savvy trading strategies when the Shanghai Stock Exchange opened in the early 1990s, he managed to parlay his initially meagre assets into sole ownership of the mainland's largest bowling-equipment manufacturer. His wealth is now estimated at US$60 million, allowing him to dabble in a film-production company with director Xie Jin.

There are three women on the list, all of whom are in business with their husbands. Twenty-second-ranked Fang Xiaowen farms pigeons and exotic birds with her husband, Lin Zhuohui, a business they have turned into a US$120 million money-spinner. Next on the list - also with assets of US$120 million - is Zhang Can and her husband, Yan Junjie, the mainland's largest distributors of Compac-brand computers. Ranked 38th is talk-show host Yang Lan, who has teamed up with her husband, Wu Zheng, to build a television-content provider. They have personal assets worth US$64 million.

So far, China's most successful business leaders have built their companies on domestic demand. This has been particularly important in the past few years, as the mainland has had to keep its economy afloat amid a sea of Asian countries weighed down by the impact of the regional financial crisis.

But next year's challenges are likely to be different if China enters the World Trade Organisation as expected. The mainland's capitalists can expect heightened competition and opportunities to display their entrepreneurial grit.

1. RONG YIREN and family

Age: 84

Birthplace: Wuxi, Jiangsu

Education: Shanghai St John's University, Shanghai's top university before 1949

Main company: China International Trade and Investment Corp (Citic)

Main industry: Investment company

Wealth: US$1.9 billion, based on the 18 per cent of Hong Kong-listed Citic Pacific owned by Mr Rong's son Larry Yung Chi-kin as of August 31

History: Prior to 1949, the Rong family was already the wealthiest in Shanghai, having made its fortune in the textile and flour industries. Mr Rong decided to stay on the mainland after the revolution and, in 1956, handed over his business empire to the Government. His fortunes changed in 1978, when the mainland's paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping, asked him to develop the country's industry. That same year, Mr Rong set up Citic, which has since become the mainland's largest window company for foreign financing. Mr Rong is first on the list because wealth amassed by his son is a reflection of his influence.

Mr Rong was vice-president of China from 1993 to 1998.

2. LIU YONGXING and brothers

Age: 52

Birthplace: Xinjin, Sichuan

Education: University

Main company: Hope Group

Main industry: Animal feed

Wealth: US$1 billion, based on the group's 1999 value

History: Hope Group, one of the mainland's largest private companies, was founded in 1982 by four brothers - Liu Yonghao, Liu Yongxing, Liu Yongmei and Liu Yongyan - to breed quails for their eggs. Having watched Thailand's giant Charoen Pokphand Group expand by selling pig feed in Sichuan province, the brothers formulated their own brand of animal feed. Today, the Hope Group (split along geographical lines into two companies, one run by Mr Liu Yongxing and the other by Mr Liu Yonghao) has combined annual revenues of more than US$1 billion. It has grown by taking over state-owned enterprises, possibly as many as 30 this year alone.

Mr Liu Yonghao is a delegate to the National People's Congress (NPC).

3. REN ZHENGFEI

Age: 56

Birthplace: Not known

Education: University

Main company: Huawei Technologies

Main industry: Telecoms equipment

Wealth: US$500 million, based on his estimated five per cent holding in Shenzhen Huawei, valued at an estimated US$10 billion

History: A former officer in the People's Liberation Army, Mr Ren started Shenzhen Huawei in 1988 and has overseen its strong growth. The group now has annual revenue of US$1.5 billion and has become one of the mainland's market leaders for global-system-for-mobile-communications (GSM) equipment, switching products and access networks.

Mr Ren declined to provide details of his holdings.

4. ZHANG XINGMIN

Age: 42

Birthplace: Jiutai, Jiling

Education: College of Further Studies

Main company: Hainan Xingbao Group

Main industry: Trade and real

estate

Wealth: US$480 million

History: After turning around several loss-making state-owned companies in northeast China, Mr Zhang decided to head south to try his luck. In 1991, he pulled off a major deal, selling low-grade sugar to Russia and, in the process, earning US$24 million and the right to trade internationally. Mr Zhang then bartered mainland-made colour TVs for steel and cement. In 1993, he moved into real estate, developing an island off Hainan Island and, later, a two-million-square-metre commercial site in Zhejiang province.

5. WU YIJIAN

Age: 40

Birthplace: Xian, Shaanxi

Education: Bachelor's from Xian Ligong University, master's from Huazhong Normal University

Main company: Shaanxi Jinhua Qiye Group

Main industry: Pharmaceuticals

Wealth: US$422 million, based on his 2000 assets

History: Mr Wu's grandfather, a landlord, was killed and his father imprisoned during the Cultural Revolution. Mr Wu started out in real estate in Xian, later diversifying into pharmaceuticals, retail and investment industries. He has won local and national awards for entrepreneurial excellence and has listed a subsidiary of the group on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Mr Wu is a delegate to the NPC.

6. LU GUANQIU

Age: 55

Birthplace: Xiaoshan, Zhejiang

Education: Left school at 15

Main company: Zhejiang Wanxiang Group

Main industry: Automotive parts

Wealth: US$360 million, based on his 100 per cent ownership of the group's 1999 net assets

History: Mr Lu's break came in 1980, when he decided to change the local village enterprise from making parts for agricultural equipment to making parts for cars. For six months, sales dropped, but he persevered. In 1988, Mr Lu bought the municipal government's 50 per cent share in the company in return for operating and shareholder independence. He listed his core business on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 1994. It became the first mainland enterprise to supply a major US car manufacturer (General Motors) in 1995.

Prescott Bush, uncle of US presidential candidate George W. Bush, sits on Mr Lu's board of advisers.

7. ZHANG HONGWEI

Age: 46

Birthplace: Harbin, Heilongjiang

Education: Master's interrupted by Cultural Revolution

Main company: Heilongjiang Dongfang Group (Orient Group)

Main industry: Construction and trade

Wealth: US$350 million, based on the group's 1999 net assets

History: In 1983, Mr Zhang and several peasants formed a construction company offering customers speedy completion and high quality. In 1988, Mr Zhang's small construction company was registered as the first private group in Heilongjiang province. In 1993, the renamed Orient Group became the first private company to gain a stock-market listing. He has invested in Minsheng Bank, the mainland's first private bank, and other industries, such as manufacturing and transportation.

Mr Zhang is a delegate to the NPC.

8. XU WENRONG

Age: 65

Birthplace: Hengdian, Zhejiang

Education: Left school at 13

Main company: Zhejiang Hengdian Qiye Group

Main industry: Magnetic materials

Wealth: US$325 million, based on his 100 per cent ownership of the group's 1999 net assets.

History: Mr Xu's first break came when he persuaded locals to lend him US$6,000 to set up a village enterprise in the silk industry, with the promise he would double their money within three years. After repaying his initial backers, he set up his company producing magnetic materials in 1990 and has since diversified to manufacturing chemicals. In 1996, he formed the Bamianshan film studio, which produced the film Opium Wars, released ahead of the handover.

9. ZHANG SIMIN

Age: 37

Birthplace: Changchun, Jiling

Education: Harbin Industrial University

Main company: Haiwang Shengwu Gongchan Group

Main industry: Pharmaceuticals

Wealth: US$313 million, based on the group's 1999 net assets

History: Mr Zhang left China International Trade and Investment Corp (Citic) in Beijing to set up his own pharmaceutical company in Shenzhen in 1989.

10. SONG CHAODI

Age: 39

Birthplace: Harbin, Heilongjiang

Education: Bachelor's from China Science and Technology University in Hefei, master's from Qinghua University

Main company: Kelihua (Clever Software Group)

Main industry: Computer software

Wealth: US$270 million, based on the market value of the group's 28 per cent stake in Shanghai-listed Kelihua but taking no account of other assets in the group, which is owned by Mr Song

History: Mr Song started Kelihua with less than US$100 in 1991. Now the company is the market leader, with its CSC-brand educational software, and was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in May of last year. It has diversified into a business-to-business Web site for land-based cargo transport, an online Chinese bookstore and a distance-learning Web site.

11. LI XIAOHUA

Age: 49

Birthplace: Beijing

Education: Left school at 15

Main company: Hong Kong Huada Investment Group

Main industry: Real estate

Wealth: US$250 million, based on the group's 1996 assets

History: Mr Li started out in 1981 on the beaches of Beidaihe with an US$800 fresh-juice machine. Four years later, he won a licence to be the sole distributor in Japan of Zhao Zhangguang's 101 Hair Restorer. In 1991, Mr Li invested US$38 million into real estate in Malaysia, doubling his money within six months when an oil field was found under the land. He is known for being the first mainlander to own a Ferrari sports car and even has a star named after him.

Mr Li is a delegate to the NPC.

12. CHEN JINFEI

Age: 38

Birthplace: Beijing

Education: University

Main company: Beijing Tongchan Investment Group

Main industry: Investment

Wealth: US$226 million, based on the group's 1998 net assets

History: After resigning from the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications in 1987, Mr Chen formed a T-shirt-printing company. His first break came in 1992, when he invested shrewdly in Hainan Island's booming real-estate market. During the early 1990s, private enterprises were not allowed to develop real estate in Beijing, so Mr Chen became a partner with municipal governments anxious to build and willing to trade land in return for a stake in property developments. Tongchan has since erected a million square metres of commercial and residential property in Beijing. He has diversified into building materials, telecommunications and finance, including setting up a bank on Wall Street, America TCC International Investment Group Corp. The group had sales of US$180 million in 1998.

Mr Chen is a delegate to the NPC.

13. WU BINGXIN

Age: 63

Birthplace: Shandong

Education: Left school at 15

Main company: Shandong Sanzhu Yaoye Group

Main industry: Pharmaceuticals

Wealth: US$210 million, based on his 100 per cent ownership of the group's 1999 net assets

History: Liver cancer forced Mr Wu, an accountant, into early retirement at 50. He says he used Chinese medicine to cure himself, prompting him to establish a vitamin-drink factory.

14. EDWARD TIAN SHUONING

Age: 37

Birthplace: Beijing

Education: Master's from Chinese Academy of Sciences Graduate School in Beijing, doctorate from Texas Technical University

Main company: China Netcom

Main industry: Telecoms infrastructure

Wealth: US$198 million, based on his 16 per cent holding in Nasdaq-listed AsiaInfo

History: In 1993, Mr Tian and James Ding Jian (number 16 on this list) co-founded AsiaInfo, a computer-software and systems-integration company. When the Government asked Mr Tian to build a broadband Internet-protocol network, he became the first senior executive to transfer from a private company to a state-owned one. Mr Tian has overseen the building of a 9,600-kilometre, 20-gigabyte, fiber-optic backbone, one of the first on such a scale. The network covers 15 mainland cities and is one of the world's fastest. Today, China Netcom creates and maintains intranets and Internet applications for businesses, and provides IP phone cards for consumers. China Netcom is in the process of building several regional broadband networks.

15. TAO XINKANG

Age: 48

Birthplace: Nanhui district, southeastern Shanghai

Education: Left school at 18

Main company: Shanghai Xingaochao Group

Main industry: Wooden boards

Wealth: US$190 million, based on the group's 1999 net assets

History: Starting out with US$1,000 in the late 1970s, Mr Tao set up a furniture workshop. By 1985, he had amassed US$60,000 and taken a 10 per cent share of the Shanghai furniture market. Unlike his state-owned competitors, Mr Tao offered customers free design and delivery, and efficient after-sales services. Expansion accelerated with the development of Shanghai's Pudong district. In 1999, the group had US$500 million in sales and US$31 million in net profits.

16. JAMES DING JIAN

Age: 35

Birthplace: Beijing

Education: Master's in information science from the University of California at Los Angeles

Main company: AsiaInfo Holdings

Main industry: Internet infrastructure

Wealth: US$186 million, based on his 15 per cent holding in Nasdaq-listed AsiaInfo as of August 31

History: In May 1999, Mr Ding took over as chief executive of AsiaInfo, a company he founded with Edward Tian Shuoning (number 14 on this list), who left the company to start China Netcom. They met in 1991, when Mr Ding was the first person to subscribe to a Web site Mr Ting had set up on mainland environmental issues.

17. RONG HAI

Age: 43

Birthplace: Xian, Shaanxi

Education: Bachelor's from Xian Jiaotong University, master's from Fudan University

Main company: Xian Haixing Technology Group

Main industry: Computers

Wealth: US$170 million, based on the group's 30 per cent holding, as of August 31, in Shanghai-listed Xian Haixing Technology

History: A lecturer at Xian Jiaotong University, Mr Rong set up a technology-research company in his garage, with an initial loan of US$4,000. In 1990, he split with his partners. That year Mr Rong succeeded in winning a contract to distribute Compaq computers in northwest China. His first-year profit of US$1 million on sales of US$13 million gave him the capital to start his own Haixing brand. Today, Xian Haixing Technology Group is involved in real estate, beverages and supermarkets, with group sales of US$580 million and profits of US$50 million in 1999.

Mr Rong is a delegate to the NPC.

18. LU ZHIQIANG

Age: 49

Birthplace: Shandong

Education: Master's

Main company: Shandong Fanhai Group

Main industry: Real-estate management and construction materials

Wealth: US$146 million, based on the group's 1998 net assets

History: Mr Lu listed his subsidiary, Guangcai Construction, on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 1994. The company's market capitalisation had risen to US$330 million by August 31.

19. WU YING

Age: 40

Birthplace: Beijing

Education: New Jersey Institute of Technology, after first studying wireless electronics at Beijing Industrial University

Main company: UT Starcom

Main industry: Telecoms

Wealth: US$137 million, based on his shareholding of UT Starcom as of August 31

History: After graduating from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1987, Mr Wu worked with AT & T Bell Laboratories and Bellcore Laboratories until he founded Starcom Network Systems in 1991.

UT Starcom provides communications equipment for service providers operating wireless and wire-line networks.

20. WILLIAM DING LEI

Age: 29

Birthplace: Ningbo, Zhejiang

Education: Chengdu University of Electronic Science and Technology

Main company: Netease.com

Main industry: Internet portal

Wealth: US$134 million, based on his 58.5 per cent holding in the Nasdaq-listed company, valued at US$230 million as of August 31

History: After graduating in 1993, Mr Ding worked on the mainland briefly for Sybase, a US-based computer-software firm, and then for China Telecom. He founded Netease with US$60,000 in June 1997. Today, the portal is among the mainland's three most popular Web sites. Netease developed the mainland's first free Web-based electronic-mail server. After this success, Mr Ding expanded the portal to provide various Internet services, including personalised homepages, virtual communities, chat rooms, games and entertainment channels. In July of this year, Mr Ding resigned as chief executive officer to devote himself to technical development.

21. LIU HANYUAN

Age: 36

Birthplace: Meishan, Sichuan

Education: Part-time course at Sichuan University, after attending Sichuan Provincial Aquatic Products School

Main company: Sichuan Tongwei Group

Main industry: Fish feed

Wealth: US$126 million, based on the group's 1999 net assets

History: Coming from the same province as animal-feed-maker Hope Group, (number two on this list), Mr Liu started out in the fishing industry in 1984. He launched his company with US$100, which his parents raised by selling pigs. The company is now the largest fish-feed producer on the mainland, with sales of US$385 million in 1999. This year, he established a fish-feed centre in Shenzhen.

Mr Liu is a delegate to the NPC.

22. LIN ZHUOHUI and FANG XIAOWEN (husband and wife)

Age: 53 and 44, respectively

Birthplace: Guangzhou

Education: High school

Main company: Guangzhou Yingjili (Enlucky)

Main industry: Agriculture

Wealth: US$120 million, based on the company's 1999 assets

History: The couple borrowed US$500 to farm pigeons. They added peacocks in 1988, and ostriches and emus more recently.

23. YAN JUNJIE and ZHANG CAN (husband and wife)

Age: 35 and 33, respectively

Birthplace: Beijing

Education: Beijing University

Main company: Dayin Group (Dyne Group)

Main industry: Distribution

Wealth: US$120 million, based on the group's net assets

History: In 1986, the couple were buying computer parts on behalf of a state-owned company. They set up their own business six years later. They won a contract to distribute Compaq computers and, by 1994, had become Compaq's largest distributor in Asia. They have now diversified into real estate and cosmetics. Sales totalled US$240 million in 1999.

24. ZHANG GUOXI

Age: 48

Birthplace: Yujiang, Jiangxi

Education: Left school at 18

Main company: Jiangxi Guoxi Industrial Group

Main industry: Wood carvings

Wealth: US$120 million, based on the group's 1999 net assets

History: Mr Zhang learned his trade in the wood-carving business, setting up the first private enterprise in Jiangxi province in 1979. Since then, he has diversified into real estate and automobile-part manufacture. He is reported to have donated US$2 million of his private wealth to charity and has a planet named after him.

Mr Zhang is a delegate to the NPC.

25. GUO GUANGCHANG

Age: 33

Birthplace: Dongyang, Zhejiang

Education: Fudan University

Main company: Fuxing Gaokeji Group (Fortune Group)

Main industry: Biotechnology products and Chinese medicine

Wealth: US$116 million, based on his estimated 25 per cent holding in the group, valued at the US$465 million market capitalisation of its Shanghai-listed subsidiary

History: Born into a peasant family, Mr Guo studied hard to earn a place at prestigious Fudan University, where he studied biology.

In 1992, he and four of his friends surveyed many Shanghai hospitals, researching what products the hospitals needed and eventually deciding to specialise in a test for hepatitis.

Mr Guo started what is now the group with seed capital of US$4,500, raised primarily from his lecturers at Fudan. The group was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in August 1999.

26. WU ZHIJIAN

Age: 40

Birthplace: Changde, Hunan

Education: Left school at 15

Main company: Shenzhen Zhenghua Group

Main industry: Trade

Wealth: US$115 million, based on the group's assets

History: In 1985, Mr Wu moved to Shenzhen, where he took over the lease on a bankrupt department store. Early successes led the municipal government to ask him to run a printing company, which he sold three months later for US$360,000. He has diversified into real estate and other activities.

27. ZHANG JIAN and ZHANG YUE (brothers)

Age: 36 and 38, respectively

Birthplace: Hunan

Education: Harbin Industrial

University

Main company: Yuanda Air Conditioner (Broad Air Conditioning)

Main industry: Air conditioners

Wealth: US$115 million, based on the brothers' ownership of the group's 1999 net assets

28. LUO ZHONGFU

Age: 49

Birthplace: Zunyi, Guizhou

Education: Left school at 15

Main company: Zhuhai Fuhai Group

Main industry: Real estate

Wealth: US$100 million, based on the group's 1998 net assets, discounted by one-third to reflect the subsequent substantial drop in property prices

29. SUN GUANGXIN

Age: 38

Birthplace: Xinjiang

Education: Anhui Military College

Main company: Xinjiang Guanghui Industrial Group

Main industry: Building materials and real estate

Wealth: US$98 million, based on the group's 1999 net assets

30. Xia Chaojia

Age: 51

Birthplace: Chengdu, Sichuan

Education: University

Main company: Hejia Group

Main industry: Agribusiness

Wealth: US$96 million, based on the group's ownership of its Shanghai-listed subsidiary

31. GAO FENG

Age: 60

Birthplace: Inner Mongolia

Education: University

Main company: Inner Mongolia Luwang Yangrong Group, King Deer Cashmere Group

Main industry: Textiles

Wealth: US$94 million, based on his 49 per cent ownership of the group's 1999 assets

32. LI SHUFU

Age: 37

Birthplace: Taizhou, Zhejiang

Education: Hubei Economic Management University

Main company: Zhejiang Jili Group (Geely Group)

Main industry: Motorcycles

Wealth: US$94 million, based on the group's 1999 net assets

33. HE BOQUAN

Age: 40

Birthplace: Guangdong

Education: Left school at 15, part-time course work at university

Main company: Guangdong Lebaishe Group (Robust Group)

Main industry: Soft drinks

Wealth: US$85 million, based on his ownership of the group's net

assets

34. LOU ZHONGFU

Age: 46

Birthplace: Dongyang, Zhejiang

Education: Left school at 15, part-time course work at university

Main company: China Guangsha Jianshe Group

Main industry: Construction and real estate

Wealth: US$83 million, based on the group's 1999 net assets

35. CHEN JINYI

Age: 39

Birthplace: Tonglu, Zhejiang

Education: Left school at 18

Main company: Zhejiang Jinyi Group

Main industry: Food and beverage

Wealth: US$80 million, based on the group's 1999 net assets

36. NAN CUNHUI

Age: 37

Birthplace: Wenzhou, Zhejiang

Education: Left school at 15, master's

Main company: Zhejiang Wenzhou Zhengtai Group (Chint Group)

Main industry: Electrical equipment

Wealth: US$72 million, based on his estimated 75 per cent ownership of the group's 1999 net assets

37. CHARLES ZHANG CHAO

YANG

Age: 37

Birthplace: Xian, Shaanxi

Education: Qinghua University in Beijing, doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Main company: Sohu.com

Main industry: Internet portal

Wealth: US$67 million, based on his 28 per cent ownership of the company, valued as of August 31

38. YANG LAN AND WU ZHENG (wife and husband)

Age: 31 and unknown

Birthplace: Beijing

Education: Bachelor's from Beijing Foreign Languages University, master's from Columbia University

Main company: Sun Television Cybernetworks

Main industry: Media

Wealth: US$64 million, based on her and her husband's holding in the Hong Kong-listed company

39. CHEN RONG

Age: 41

Birthplace: Nanhui district, southeastern Shanghai

Education: High school, part-time course work towards master's

Main company: Shanghai Zhonglu Group

Main industry: Bowling equipment

Wealth: US$60 million, based upon the group's 2000 net assets

40. HUANG HONGSHENG

Age: 46

Birthplace: Hainan

Education: University

Main company: Hong Kong Chuanwei Group

Main industry: Consumer electronics

Wealth: US$60 million, based on his 36 per cent holding in the group, valued at US$178 million in July 1999

41. WANG WENJING

Age: 36

Birthplace: Shangrao, Jiangxi

Education: Jiangxi Finance University

Main company: Beijing Yongyou Software Group (UFsoft Group)

Main industry: Computer software

Wealth: US$60 million, based on 1999 sales

42. WANG ZHIDONG

Age: 33

Birthplace: Dongguan, Guangdong

Education: Wireless telecoms at Beijing University

Main company: Sina.com

Main industry: Internet portal

Wealth: US$57 million, based on his 6.5 per cent holding in the Nasdaq-listed company, valued at US$874 million as of August 31

43. HAN WEI

Age: 44

Birthplace: Dalian, Liaoning

Education: Left school at 15, recently completed part-time course work at university

Main company: Dalian Hanwei Enterprise Group

Main industry: Agriculture

Wealth: US$56 million, based on his 76 per cent holding in the group as of 1999

44. LIU SHAOXI

Age: 37

Birthplace: Shantou, Guangdong

Education: Left school at 15, part-time course work at university

Main company: Yihua Enterprise Group

Main industry: Wooden floorboards and furniture

Wealth: US$52 million, based on the group's 1998 net assets

45. SONG RUHUA

Age: 38

Birthplace: Chengdu, Sichuan

Education: Sichuan Institute of Telecom Engineering

Main company: Sichuan Tuopu Group (Top Group)

Main industry: computer software

Wealth: US$50 million, based on his 26 per cent holding in the Shenzhen-listed subsidiary, valued at US$195 million as of August 31, but taking no account of other assets in the group

46. ZHU WEISHA

Age: 45

Birthplace: Beijing

Education: Beijing Industrial University

Main company: Yuxing Infotech Holdings

Main industry: Information appliances

Wealth: US$50 million, based on his 26 per cent holding in the company, which listed on Hong Kong's Growth Enterprise Market in January

47. LU HANZHEN

Age: 46

Birthplace: Cixi, Zhejiang

Education: Left school at 12

Main company: Zhejiang Jinlun Group

Main industry: Motorcycle-tyre parts

Wealth: US$46 million, based on his 32 per cent holding of the group's 1998 net assets

48. HAN ZHAOSHAN

Age: 50

Birthplace: Yingkou, Liaoning

Education: University

Main company: Panpan Group

Main industry: Security doors

Wealth: US$45 million, based on the group's 1999 assets

49. XUE YONGXIN

Age: 48

Birthplace: Tongnan, Sichuan

Education: Medicine at university

Main company: Chengdu Enwei Shihen Pharmaceutical

Main industry: Pharmaceuticals

Wealth: US$45 million, based on the group's 1999 assets

50. YIN MINGSHAN

Age: 62

Birthplace: Chongqing

Education: Left school at 20

Main company: Chongqing Lifan Hongda Group

Main industry: Motorcycles and motorcycle engines

Wealth: US$42 million, based on the group's 1999 net assets