Chongqing Developer China's Richest Woman
By wchung | 03 May, 2025

Landing on Top: Wu Yajun became China's richest woman at the age of 47.

A family fortune estimated at $6.6 billion makes Wu Yajun China’s richest woman, according to the latest list released by China wealth researcher Hurun. The 47-year-old heads up Longhu Real Estate Development Co. in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing.

The list of China’s 50 richest women was drawn from among the 156 women who made up 15.5% of the 1,000 people in China’s Hurun Rich List 2011. Thirty-three members of that list are self-made billionaires, up from 30 on last year’s list.

The leading source of their wealth was real estate which produced 18 on the list of 50 and six among the top 10.

The second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh richest women in China also derived their fortunes from real estate and were worth, respectively, $5.6 bil., $5.2 bil., $3.3 bil., $3.2 bil. and $2.9 bil.

The fourth richest woman derived a $4.4 bil. fortune from recyling waste paper while the eighth richest woman had a $2.7 bil. from producing fragrances and food flavoring.

The richest woman in the technology sector came in at number nine, with $2.2 bil. derived from manufacturing photovoltaic equipment and growing crystalline silicon. Rounding out the top 10 were two women who owned a Coke bottling and distribution firm.

Their average age is 48, three years younger than the overall average of the Hurun Rich List 2011. The average wealth of the listed women is 9.7 billion yuan ($1.5 bil.), a 13 percent increase over 2010.

Guangdong province hosted the firms of 10 women on the list, followed by Beijing with nine and Zhejiang with six.