Zhou Qunfei: from lowly factory worker to China's richest woman
Zhou is now worth a whopping US$10 billion, but she is determined to remain grounded
Zhou Qunfei has hit the big time. Her fame and worth are set to rise even higher this month with the arrival in shops of the Apple Watch.
Yet the former factory worker from Hunan province who now commands a workforce of about 60,000 is reportedly not comfortable with her new-found fame.
"I'm not qualified to be a high-profile person," Hunan Daily quoted her as saying. "I think it's important not to get carried away when you are successful - and not to let yourself feel gloomy when times are bad."
Zhou, 45, found fame after Lens debuted on Shenzhen's ChiNext A-share market on March 18. Her net worth grew 452 per cent as her company's shares hit the daily trading limit for 13 consecutive days.
She has dethroned the mainland's previous richest woman Chan Laiwa, founder and chairwoman of Beijing property developer Fuwah International Group. Chan is worth US$7.1 billion.
A shares are subject to a 44 per cent trading limit on the first day of listing and then a 10 per cent limit on each subsequent day. Since Lens' debut, its shares hit the trading cap every day between March 18 and April 2.