Top 10 richest people in Asia in 2024 (2024)

1. Mukesh Ambani:

Mukesh Ambani (Source: IE)

Mukesh Ambani serves as the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited, which is India’s most valuable company by market value. Under his leadership, Reliance has diversified into the refining, petrochemicals, retail, and telecommunications industries. Ambani has consistently been ranked as India’s richest person by Forbes for the past ten years.

2. Gautam Adani:

Gautam Adani (Source: IE)

Gautam Adani is the founder and chairman of the Adani Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. He diversified his business into trading metals, textiles, and agro-products. Adani established Adani Exports in 1988, which is now known as Adani Enterprises. The company focuses on agriculture and power commodities. In 1995, Adani secured the Mundra Port contract and set up the first jetty. Beginning as a trading firm in 1988, he has since become one of the wealthiest individuals in Asia. Additionally, his strategic acquisition of Holcim’s Indian assets in 2022 propelled him to the position of India’s second-largest cement producer.

3. Zhong Shanshan:

Zhong Shanshan (Source: CEO Worldwide)

4. Prajogo Pangestu:

Prajogo Pangestu (Source: Kumparan.com)

5. Colin Zheng Huang:

Colin Zheng Huang (Source: Forbes)

Colin Zheng Huang is the founder and chairman of Pinduoduo, a Chinese e-commerce company. Born in 1973, Huang started his career in the technology industry and founded Pinduoduo in 2015. Since then, the company has become one of the largest e-commerce platforms in China, focusing on social commerce and group buying. Although he stepped down as chairman a couple of years ago, Huang still owns about 28% of the company shares. Additionally, Huang has also founded an online gaming company called Xinyoudi and another e-commerce platform known as Ouku.com.

6. Zhang Yiming:

Zhang Yiming (Source: Forbes)

Zhang Yiming is the founder and chairman of ByteDance, a Chinese technology company best known for creating the widely popular app TikTok. Born in 1983, Zhang began his career in the technology industry and established ByteDance in 2012. The company has grown to become one of the largest technology companies in China, focusing on social media, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence, with a massive user base of over 1 billion worldwide.

7. Ma Huateng:

Ma Huateng (Source: Forbes)

Ma Huateng, also known as Pony Ma, is the founder and chairman of Tencent Holdings, a prominent Chinese technology company. He started his career in the technology industry and established Tencent in 1998. The company has grown to become one of the largest technology companies in China, specialising in social media, e-commerce, and gaming.

Ma oversees WeChat, a widely used messaging app with 1.3 billion users, and has positioned himself as one of Asia’s wealthiest individuals. Additionally, Tencent holds significant interests in global gaming, with a stake in Epic Games, and is a top video game publisher. Through Tencent’s investments, Ma’s influence extends to companies like Tesla and Spotify. Notably, he has announced plans for Tencent to develop new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for the benefit of humanity.

8. Savitri Jindal and Family:

Om Prakash Jindal, along with his wife Savitri Jindal, founded Jindal Steel and Power, an Indian steel and power company. After the passing of OP Jindal, the company expanded into various sectors, including power generation and real estate. Savitri Jindal is not only one of the wealthiest Asians but also the richest woman in India. She has continued her husband’s legacy of contributing to society and communities by supporting sectors such as education and healthcare.

9. Tadashi Yanai and Family:

Tadashi Yanai (Source: The Weather Channel)

Tadashi Yanai is the founder and chairman of Fast Retailing, a major Japanese retail company. Born in 1949, Yanai began his career in the retail industry and established Fast Retailing in 1963. The company has since grown to become one of the largest retail companies in Japan, focusing on fashion and lifestyle products. Tadashi Yanai is the driving force behind Fast Retailing, an influential clothing empire listed in Tokyo that oversees the Uniqlo chain.

Fast Retailing’s portfolio includes brands such as Theory, Helmut Lang, J Brand, and GU. Uniqlo, the flagship brand, has a strong presence with over 2,400 stores in 25 countries, contributing to Tadashi’s ranking among the top 10 richest people in Asia. In October 2023, Uniqlo launched its first store in Mumbai, India, and in the face of competition from local and international brands, it aims to grow and establish itself as a leading brand in India.

10. Li Ka-Shing:

Li Ka-Shing (Source: Forbes)

Li Ka-shing, born in 1928, is the founder and chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings, two Hong Kong-based conglomerates. He began his career in the textile industry and founded CK Hutchison Holdings in 1950. The company has since diversified into various sectors, such as real estate, energy, and telecommunications. One of Asia’s wealthiest individuals, Li Ka-shing’s journey started at 21 when he launched Cheung Kong Plastics, named after the Yangtze River, with $6,500 in savings and loans from relatives.

His philanthropic efforts through the Li Ka Shing Foundation have been remarkable, with over $3.8 billion donated to various causes, primarily in Greater China. Notably, CK Hutchison Holdings, under Li Ka-shing’s control, and the Vodafone Group have recently agreed to merge their respective British telecommunications businesses, forming the country’s largest mobile operator.