Zhong Shanshan

🇨🇳 Zhong Shanshan

🐺 The lone wolf who quenched China’s thirst

Zhong Shanshan, founder and chairman of Nongfu Spring, built China’s strongest beverage brand out of bottled water—and became one of the country’s richest people. The 2020 Hong Kong IPO made the billion-dollar empire visible. Today, his net worth hovers around $60 billion. Beyond water, he also holds a stake in a diagnostics champion via Beijing Wantai Biological.

🎒 From school dropout to mogul: During the Cultural Revolution he left elementary school, worked as a construction worker and reporter, then founded Nongfu Spring in 1996.

💧 His formula: “natural” spring water, a strong brand, and data-driven distribution. He deliberately avoids the spotlight and elite business clubs—earning him the nickname “lone wolf.”