Beijing:ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has reclaimed the top position on China's rich list, driven by the company's expansion into artificial intelligence, as reported by the Hurun Research Institute.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Zhang's wealth is estimated at $99.7 billion, marking a 43% increase from the previous year and setting a new record for the list's wealthiest individual. ByteDance, known for owning popular short-video platforms TikTok and Douyin, also operates Doubao, China's leading AI assistant.

Other notable rankings include bottled water magnate Zhong Shanshan, who fell to second place with a net worth of $61 billion, a decrease of 23%. CATL Chairman Robin Zeng secured the third spot with $57.3 billion. The list also saw new entries from the AI sector, with DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng in seventh place and AI chipmaker Cambricon chair Chen Tianshi in tenth.

The Hurun ranking highlighted a growing number of individuals with significant wealth, featuring a record 1,529 people with fortunes of at least 5 billion yuan ($740 million). The count of US-dollar billionaires on the list increased by 155, reaching a total of 1,176, which surpasses the US total by 176. Hurun indicated that entrepreneurs in AI, semiconductors, and robotics saw their wealth grow, while those in consumer businesses and real estate faced challenges. The annual list, in publication since 1999, is based on wealth estimates as of September 1.