Larry Yung Chi-kin, the chairman of Hong Kong-listed conglomerate Citic Pacific, tops this year's list of the richest people in China as compiled by Forbes.
With personal assets of US$1.49 billion, Mr Yung, 62, leads the wealth list released yesterday, followed by Gome Appliance founder and chairman Wong Kwong-yu, with US$1.3 billion.
Chen Tianqiao, 31, the mastermind behind online game maker Shanda Networking Group, ranked third, with a personal net worth valued at US$1.27 billion.
At 200, this year's list - the seventh since 1995 - is twice as long as last year's.
'Wealth in China for many years has been considered to be murky and hidden because of tax issues and a lack of legal protection,' said the magazine's Shanghai bureau chief, Russell Flannery.
'That is gradually changing as private companies tap capital markets at home and abroad to finance growth and as they increasingly partner with foreign companies,' he said.
Mr Flannery also noted a trend towards more business opportunities for entrepreneurs targeting affluent consumers, especially in the retail, food, entertainment and media sectors.