A businessman is now the richest man in China. The magazine Bloomberg's Billionaires Index named Mr Zhong Shanshan as China's richest man. The magazine said Mr Zhong is worth over $58 billion. He is $2 billion richer than the previous number one, Jack Ma. Mr Ma is the boss of the Internet giant Alibaba. Mr Zhong made his money from his Nongfu Spring bottled water company. He also makes vaccines. He is the chairman of a vaccine manufacturer. Mr Zhong is now 17th on the global rich list. It seems that he will move up that list in the future.
Zhong Shanshan, 66, was once a construction worker. He started his water company in 1996, just as China's market for bottled water was emerging. Bottled water is now a big industry in China. Most people who live in China prefer bottled water to tap water for health reasons. Zhong's vaccine company is helping in the fight against COVID-19. It is developing a spray vaccine with the help of researchers from a top university. Chinese media call Mr Zhong a "lone wolf" because he is rarely seen in public. He rarely gives interviews and he likes to keep himself to himself.