China has reclaimed the top spot in the global billionaire ranking with 1,110 billionaires, according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2026, as AI drives new wealth creation.
China has once again become the country with the most billionaires in the world. The Hurun Global Rich List 2026, released by the Hurun Research Institute, shows that China now has 1,110 entrepreneurs with fortunes of at least $1 billion, surpassing the 1,000 recorded in the United States, CNS reported.
The report, published on March 5th, covers 4,020 billionaires from 73 countries and 2,914 companies. The total number rose from 3,442 last year, marking the first time the global billionaire population has crossed the 4,000 mark. India ranks third with 308 billionaires.
AI and Tech Entrepreneurs Drive Wealth Growth
Technology companies, especially those linked to artificial intelligence, played a major role in this year’s ranking. According to the report, 114 billionaires are associated with AI companies, including 46 newcomers, making AI the largest source of new billionaires.
In China, several tech founders saw their wealth grow sharply.
Zhang Yiming, founder of TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, became the richest person in China, with a fortune of 550 billion yuan, after his wealth rose about 32 per cent over the past year.
Bottled water entrepreneur Zhong Shanshan ranks second in China with 515 billion yuan, followed by Pony Ma with 465 billion yuan.
Meanwhile, battery industry leader Robin Zeng saw his wealth jump 46 per cent to 380 billion yuan, moving him up to fourth place among China’s richest entrepreneurs.
Musk Stays on Top of the Global Ranking
Globally, technology entrepreneurs still dominate the top positions.
Elon Musk remains the world’s richest person with an estimated fortune of 5.5 trillion yuan. Rising valuations at Tesla and SpaceX helped boost his wealth, giving him the top spot for the fifth time in six years.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ranks second with about 2.1 trillion yuan, while Larry Page, co-founder of Alphabet, takes third place with roughly 1.9 trillion yuan.
Among the top ten billionaires, French luxury goods leader Bernard Arnault is the only entrepreneur from Europe.
Shenzhen and Other Chinese Cities Rise as Wealth Hubs
The report also highlights the cities with the largest number of billionaires.
New York remains the world’s top billionaire city for the third consecutive year with 146 residents on the list.
Several Chinese cities follow closely behind. Shenzhen ranks second with 132 billionaires, while Shanghai has 120 and Beijing has 107.
China also recorded the largest increase in billionaire numbers this year, adding 287 new names to the list. By comparison, the United States added 130, and India gained 24. The figures show how quickly China’s technology and digital economy sectors are expanding.
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