BEIJING — Until recently, few people had even heard of the Chinese billionaire with a gruff reputation who built a fortune on China’s seemingly unquenchable demand for his ubiquitous red-capped bottled water.
But reclusive Zhong Shanshan has become Asia’s richest man following the stock listings last year of his Nongfu Spring mineral water and separate pharma company Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise, which has tapped into massive demand for Covid-19 test kits.
Zhong’s net worth has surged to $85 billion and made him the seventh-richest person on the planet, Hurun Report, a China-based compiler of “rich lists”, said last week.
Called a “lone wolf” by Chinese media for …
Keep on reading: Reclusive Chinese water tycoon is now Asia’s richest person