China’s richest woman, Yang Huiyan, made US$2 billion in four days

A share surge at Country Garden Holdings, China’s largest developer by sales, has sent vice-chairman Yang Huiyan’s wealth up by US$2.1 billion – and that’s just in the first four trading days of the year.

Yang, controlling shareholder of Country Garden, saw her fortune soar to US$25.6 billion as of January 5 to rank as the fifth-richest person in the nation, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That’s before Country Garden’s shares rose another 7.4 per cent on Monday in Hong Kong trading, taking its year-to-date-gain to 17 per cent.

The 36-year-old Yang is China’s richest woman and the nation’s youngest billionaire, according to the Bloomberg Index. In 2005, her father transferred his controlling stake to her “due to his intention to train Yang Huiyan as the successor of his family’s interest” in the group, Country Garden said.