The founder of TikTok, Zhang Yiming, has become the richest person in China

The founder of ByteDance, which owns the TikTok social network, Zhang Yiming, has become the richest person in China. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the 41-year-old entrepreneur's wealth increased to $13.6 billion in 2024 and reached $57.5 billion by the end of March 2025.

Richest people in China

Following Zhang Yiming, the positions are held by the leaders of China's largest companies:

1. Zhang Yiming (ByteDance) — $57.5 billion
2. Pony Ma (Tencent) — $56.6 billion
3. Zhong Shanshan (Nongfu Spring) — $54.1 billion

Pony Ma, co-founder of Tencent Holdings, ranks second with a fortune of $56.6 billion. Zhong Shanshan, head of Nongfu Spring, holds the third position with a wealth of $54.1 billion.

Changes among Chinese billionaires

In 2023, Pony Ma ranked first in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with a fortune estimated at $43.7 billion. At that time, Zhong Shanshan was in second place ($43.6 billion), and Zhang Yiming was in third place ($43 billion). Within a year, Zhang Yiming's wealth sharply increased, and he rose to first place.

The global success of ByteDance and the growth of TikTok are said to have significantly contributed to Zhang Yiming's increase in wealth.

Elon Musk could become the first trillionaire

Additionally, Bloomberg analysts predict that Elon Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX, could become the world's first trillionaire by 2027.

The trend of technology companies and startups becoming the largest sources of wealth in the world remains one of today's key trends.