Tycoon Wang Jianlin regains top spot in Forbes list of China's richest people

Property and entertainment tycoon Wang Jianlin has topped a list of China’s richest people compiled by the business magazine Forbes, which said that factors including rises in share prices at the beginning of the year have driven up the total wealth of the nation’s 100 wealthiest people by 20 per cent over the past 12 months. 

Wang, chairman of Dalian Wanda Group, has unseated the head of the internet commerce company Alibaba, Jack Ma, to be named the richest man in the country this year, Forbes said. 

Wang’s estimated personal wealth has more than doubled over the past year to US$30 billion thanks to the listing of his group’s commercial property arm in Hong Kong last December and its cinema chain on Shenzhen’s stock market in January. 

Wang reclaims the top spot as he was named richest man in the Forbes list in 2013.

Wang was also named China’s richest person in another ranking published by the magazine the Hurun Report in August.

READ MORE: Dalian Wanda boss Wang Jianlin unseats Hong Kong's Li Ka-shing as richest Chinese

Ma, leader of the world’s largest e-commerce company, ranked second in the latest Forbes list with estimated wealth of US$21.8 billion.