One of China’s most prominent billionaires, Zhong Shanshan recently rose to international fame and recognition as the world’s fourth-richest person after his two companies, Nongfu Spring and Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co. Ltd., both surged in value by hundreds of billions of dollars due to their specialized services in the health industry.
His success has been attributed not only to his business acumen and unrivaled dedication but also to his unwavering commitment to helping those less fortunate. One example is supporting charities dedicated to providing clean drinking water or developing sanitary systems for impoverished communities.
Zhong Shanshan Biography
| Famous Name | Zhong Shanshan |
|---|---|
| Full Name / Real Name | Zhong Shanshan |
| Nickname | Zhong, Lone Wolf |
| Profession | Businessman. Also, he is the Founder of Nongfu Spring & Owner of Wantai |
| Date of Birth | 01 December, 1954 (Wednesday) |
| Age | 69 years 1 Month(s) 18 day(s) |
| Birthplace | Hangzhou, China |
| Country | China |
| Region | Asia |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Gender | Male |
| Religion | Buddhism |
Zhong Shanshan’s Early Life
Zhong Shanshan was born in Hangzhou in the province of Zhejiang, China on December 1, 1954. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution or the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, Zhong dropped out of school while his parents were persecuted along with millions of other civilians. He managed to survive a tumultuous period in Chinese history and continued his education during the 1970s.
Zhong Shanshan Education
Zhong finished his education at the Open University of China. He failed the college entrance exams twice before landing at the Beijing-based university.
| Qualification | Dropped out in school. Then Studied in Radio & TV Program |
|---|---|
| School | Local High school |
| Universitiy | Zhejiang Radio & TV University |
Zhong Shanshan Height, Weight, And Physical Stats:
The Height of Zhong Shanshan is 5 feet 7 inches & Weight is 70 Kg. Also, His eye color is Dark Brown. & hair color is Dark Brown.
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches |
|---|---|
| Weight | 70 Kg |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Dark Brown |
Zhong Shanshan Family & Relationship Status:
As a Celebrity, many people search on google for His family information. So His father name is Zhong Yangyi and sister(s) name Zhong Xuanxuan, Zhong Xiaoxiao. If you need to know marital status of Zhong Shanshan, He got married . His wife name is Lu Xiaoping.
| Father | Zhong Yangyi |
|---|---|
| Sister(s) | Zhong Xuanxuan, Zhong Xiaoxiao |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Lu Xiaoping |
Zhong Shanshan Net Worth & Luxury:
The most valuable thing, which you must need to know the Zhong Shanshan Net Worth & Luxury information. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider: The Net Worth of Zhong Shanshan is around 63 Million US dollars. Check the below table for more details about His Luxury information.
| Networth (Approx.) | 63 Milion US Dollar |
|---|
Zhong Shanshan Career
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Now the wealthiest entrepreneur in China and in Asia, it wasn’t all roses for Zhong at the beginning of his career. He worked in several jobs including working as a construction worker and beverage salesman. By the 1980s, he worked as a news reporter and would be involved in the field for around five years. Seeing massive opportunities in the water business, Zhong founded a water distributor company in Southern China and later a health products brand called Yangshengtang in 1993.
Nongfu Spring Founder and CEO
Seeing relative success for his first water company, Zhong established Nongfu Spring in September 1996. With water sourced from the Zhejiang Thousand Island Lake (also known as the Qiandao Lake), Nongfu officially launched its first packaged drinking water in 1997.
Aside from becoming a joint-stock company in 2001, Nongfu Spring also expanded its portfolio to selling bottled tea and juices under the brands Farmer’s Orchard, Scream, and Oriental Leaf. Zhong’s company grew exponentially in the next few years and it wasn’t long before Nongfu Spring became China’s largest bottled water producer. Nongfu is also one of the country’s leading bottled tea and juice makers.
Nongfu Spring’s trajectory was momentarily halted as it was accused by leading Chinese publication the Beijing Times of not adhering to national water standards. After several months of fierce exchanges between the company and the newspaper, the accusation eventually proved to be false. Zhejiang health authorities conducted random checks on four batches of Nongfu bottled water and each one passed provincial and national standards. The company filed a defamation suit against the Beijing Times and demanded 60 million yuan ($9.7 million) in damages.
Zhong Shanshan Asia’s Richest Man
Zhong Shanshan now tops the list that has been consistently held by Alibaba founder and CEO Jack Ma ($50 billion net worth), although Zhong had been hovering in the top 10 in recent years. Included in the list are other prominent Chinese billionaires including Ma Huateng (Tencent CEO, $55 billion net worth), Sun Piaoyang (Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Chairman, $35 billion net worth), He Xiangjian (Midea Group co-founder, $32 billion net worth), and Yang Huiwan (Country Garden Holdings shareholder, $28 billion net worth). Huiwan is currently Asia’s richest woman.
Jack Ma will not likely remain as China’s second richest man for long especially with Alibaba generating $72 billion in revenues in 2020. Alibaba’s affiliate company, Ant Group also generated $17.5 billion in 2019. Nonetheless, this still makes Ma one of the wealthiest Chinese entrepreneurs around, and it will be interesting how his tech empire will match up against Zhong’s water and pharmaceutical business in the foreseeable future.
Zhong Shanshan Personal Life
Zhong Shanshan is married has three children. He has three siblings, in which his two sisters Zhong Xiaoxiao and Zhong Xuanxuan are investors in his company. His wife’s sister Lu Xiaowei and their two other siblings also have holdings at Nongfu Spring worth $400 million each.
Zhong Shanshan Facts
- Shanshan decided to quit schooling in elementary at the time of the Cultural Revolution. Soon after that, he found a construction job.
- Prior to having entered the business trade, Zhong had worked as a journalist until the year 1988. After that, Shanshan relocated to the island of Hainan where he sold mushrooms, prawns, and turtles. Later, he went on to join the Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., Ltd. as a sales agent for healthcare supplements.
- On September 26, 1996, Zhong created the bottled water company Nongfu Spring. However, the company launched its first bottled water product in 1997, which was extracted from the Zhejiang Thousand-Island Lake. Later, in 1999, Zhong’s company decided to stop removing natural minerals from the water in order to preserve its authenticity. Despite the health-related backlash that Nongfu Spring received, its sales also skyrocketed, eventually surpassing brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
- In September 2020, Zhong’s wealth increased from $18.9 billion to $50 billion after he had opened his company to a stock market launch making him one of the wealthiest people in the world.
- The Chinese media knows him as the “lone wolf”.
Zhong Shanshan House
Zhong keeps a low public profile, and Chinese media have dubbed him a “lone wolf.” He bought an apartment in Hangzhou’s Xihu District, where he currently resides. The headquarters of Nongfu Spring is also in the Xihu district, which is recognized for its proximity to the city’s gorgeous West Lake.
Zhong Shanshan Life Style
Zhong Shanshan is known for his low-profile and private lifestyle. He rarely gives interviews or public appearances, and little is known about his personal life. He has been described as a very private person who prefers to keep a low profile and focus on his work and business ventures.
Despite his immense wealth, Zhong Shanshan is known for his simple lifestyle and frugal habits. He is said to live in a modest apartment in Hangzhou, and he reportedly uses public transportation and avoids luxury cars and other extravagances.
In terms of hobbies and interests, Zhong Shanshan is known to enjoy reading and has been reported to be an avid fan of the Chinese novel “Journey to the West.” He is also said to be interested in hiking and outdoor activities and has been known to climb mountains in his spare time. Overall, Zhong Shanshan’s lifestyle is characterized by his dedication to his work and business ventures, his focus on simplicity and frugality, and his preference for privacy and avoiding the limelight.
Zhong Shanshan Trivia
What many may not know is that before becoming a successful business mogul, Shanshan had tried his hand at various professions, including working as a journalist for the Economic Daily! Not only was Zhong committed to giving back to his home village by providing it with access to clean drinking water but he also donated millions of face masks at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in China.
Zhong Shanshan Controversy
However over the next few years, Zhong was hit by several controversies with the media questioning the quality of his water and highlighting inedible ingredients found in Nongfu Spring.
Zhong Shanshan Achievements
- Zhong Shanshan has achieved remarkable success in the beverage industry. He founded Nongfu Spring, which has become the best-selling packaged beverage brand in China. He has also utilized new technologies to understand his customer base and expand his market.
- Nongfu Spring’s natural water became the most popular bottled water in China in 2012 and has been the number one seller of packaged beverages in China for eight consecutive years since then.
- Zhong Shanshan has received numerous awards and recognitions for his achievements in the business world. He was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the China Entrepreneur Club in 2018 and was also listed as one of the “50 Most Influential People in China” by Fortune magazine in 2019.
Zhong Shanshan Companies
1. Nongfu Spring: A bottled water and beverage company that he founded in 1996. The company has become one of the largest bottled water and beverage companies in China.
2. Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy: A biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing and producing diagnostic reagents. The company was founded in 2001 and has become a leading producer of diagnostic reagents for infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
3. Yangshengtang Co.: A healthcare and wellness company that he founded in 2018. The company offers traditional Chinese medicine products and services, as well as health and wellness products.
He also has investments in other companies, including YST Holdings, which is a Chinese dietary supplement company. Zhong Shanshan’s companies are known for their focus on quality and innovation, and he has been recognized for his entrepreneurial achievements and contributions to China’s business world.
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