Society

Two silver-spoon young billionaires in China

By Zuo Likun (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-03-18 15:00
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Forbes magazine has published a revealing rich list of the world's top ten youngest billionaires, two of whom are Chinese born with silver spoons, Britain's Times reported Tuesday.

Twenty eight year old Chinese Yang Huiyan, ranking 3rd with a net worth of $3.4 billion, inherited her fortune from her father Yang Guoqiang's property empire Country Garden, shortly after she graduated from the Ohio State University in 2004 with a degree in marketing and logistics.

The other silver-spoon inheritor is Lee Ziaohui, also 28, ranking 9th with a net worth of $1 billion, whose assassinated father was the former boss of Highsee Iron and Steel Group in northern coal-rich Shanxi province.

At the top of the list is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, a 25-year-old Harvard graduate who catapulted to international fame with his $4-billion social networking site.

Five of the ten up-and-coming billionaires are self-made stars, of whom Zuckerberg, still single, was the only one that made into the top five.

Followed are Forbes' top 10 youngest billionaires posted in Tuesday's Times.

1. Mark Zuckerberg -- Net worth: $4 billion

How: Internet     Age: 25       Citizenship: US       Marital status: Single

The Facebook-founder launched the social networking site from his Harvard bedroom in 2004.

2. John Arnold -- Net worth: $4 billion

How: Energy trading    Age: 36    Citizenship: US    Marital status: Married

Hired by Enron and founded hedge fund Centaurus Energy in 2002 after Enron collapsed.

3. Yang Huiyan -- Net worth: $3.4 billion

How: Property   Age: 28    Citizenship: China    Marital status: Married

Her fortune is tied up in her holding in Guangdong developer Country Garden, run by her father Yeung Kwok Keung.

4. Albert von Thurn und Taxis -- Net worth: $2.2 billion

How: Inheritance    Age: 26    Citizenship: Germany    Marital status: Single

Inherited fortune on his 18th birthday and lives in family castle, Schloss Emmeram.

5. Fahd Hariri -- Net worth: $1.4 billion

How: Construction, investments Age: 29  Citizenship: Lebanon   Marital status: Single

Youngest son of assassinated Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri inherited stake in his father's construction, telecom and property empire.

6. Aymin Hariri -- Net worth: $1.4 billion

How: Construction, investments  Age: 31  Citizenship: Saudi Arabia  Marital status: Married

Brother of above, while other brother Saad is Prime Minister of Lebanon.

7. Yoshikazu Tanaka -- Net worth: $1.4 billion

How: Internet   Age: 33    Citizenship: Japan     Marital status: Na

Like Zuckerberg, Tanaka also made his fortune from a social networking site, Gree.

8. Kostyantin Zhevago -- Net worth: $1.2 billion

How: Banking, mining   Age: 36   Citizenship: Ukraine    Marital status: Married

Has majority stake in iron ore producer Ferrexpo and Finance & Credit Bank.

9. Lee Ziaohui -- Net worth: $1 billion

How: Manufacturing   Age: 28    Citizenship: China   Marital status: Married

Chairman of one of China's biggest private steel manufacturers Shanxi Highsee Iron and Steel Group, since father was shot in 2003.

10. Shahid Balwa -- Net worth: $1 billion

How: Property   Age: 36    Citizenship: India    Marital status: Married

Partner in DB Realty whose projects include Turf Estate, a luxury high-rise, and the 108-storey Park Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai.