‘Data Center Queen’ Zhou Chaonan makes her debut as China dominates Hurun 2026 self-made women billionaires list
The latest Hurun ‘Self-made Women Billionaires list' is out, with Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply leading the charts. The list also shows that out of the top 10 self-made women billionaires, seven of them are from China.
Following after Hendricks is Zhong Huijuan, from China – whose $1.5 billion cancer drug licensing deal with Roche helped push Hansoh Pharmaceutical onto the global biotech stage.
Meanwhile, Zhou Chaonan, dubbed the ‘Data Center Queen,’ made a striking debut – shooting straight into the top 10, as Range Technology’s cloud data center boomed, mentioned the Hurun list. Interestingly, in Chinese — ‘Chaonan’ means 'to surpass men'.
Hurun Global Richest Self-Made Women 2026: Who secured the top 10 spots?
From Diane Hendricks to Zhou Chaonan – here's a glimpse of the top 10 self-made women billionaires:
| Rank | Name | Wealth (in US$ Bn) | Main Company | Age | Nation of residence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diane Hendricks | 24 | ABC Supply | 79 | United States |
| 2 | Zhong Huijuan | 23 | Hansoh Pharmaceutical | 65 | China |
| 3 | Zhou Qunfei | 18 | Lens Technology | 56 | China |
| 4 | Wang Laichun | 13 | Luxshare Precision Industry | 59 | China |
| 5 | Zeng Fangqin | 10 | Lingyi iTech | 61 | China |
| 6 | Judy Faulkner | 9.3 | Epic Systems | 82 | United States |
| 7 | Denise Coates | 9.2 | Bet365 | 58 | UK |
| 8 | Zhou Chaonan | 8.5 | Range Technology | 66 | China |
| 8 | Fan Hongwei | 8.5 | Hengli | 59 | China |
| 10 | Wu Yajun | 7.5 | Longfor | 62 | China |
Zhou Chaonan made her debut into the list this year, shooting straight into the Hurun Top 10, while Fan Hongwei saw her wealth rise by 63% to US$8.5bn – driven by the rapid rise of Suzhou-based Hengli Group’s shipbuilding business into the global top tier, alongside steady growth in its petrochemical operations.
The Hurun rich list mentioned that China dominates with more self-made women billionaires than the rest of the world combined. The US had a good year, adding 17 women self-made billionaires.
What do city-wise figures say?
At the city level, Shenzhen continues to lead as the world’s top hub for self-made women billionaires with 13. It is followed by Shanghai with 10, Beijing with 9, and Hangzhou, which ranks fourth with 8.
Kylie Jenner richest self-made youngest woman
While China dominated the overall list, US takes the crown when it comes to the top ten self-made youngest women billionaires.
Kylie Jenner of Kylie Cosmetics is the youngest out of the 150 self-made women billionaires, at the age of 28-years.
Hurun rich list mentioned that of the pool of 150 richest self-made women, 10 are Under40s, of which 3 are Under35s. Kylie is the only woman in Under30.
About the Author
Sudeshna Ghoshal is a Content Producer for Livemint, where she decodes international affairs, US politics, besides covering general news. With nearly two years in the newsroom, she has covered a plethora of topics ranging from developments around trade deals, elections, nuances in geopolitical shifts to fine prints of Union Budgets. A fellow of the US Consulate General’s Business Communication cohort, she has also reported on airline launches, and national affairs. As a person who thinks out of the box, she aims to blend her creativity with how stories are told.<br><br> Born and raised in Kolkata, Sudeshna’s academic journey has taken her across multiple cities in India, and she is now based out of Delhi. She studied English Literature and holds a postgraduate diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She also has a keen interest in foreign languages and cultures of different nations.<br><br> When the news cycle slows down, you will find her experimenting with either music or food, or dabbling with paints. She posts at sudeshna02_ and can also be reached out on LinkedIn.
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