China is an undeniable rising power. Many individuals have became unimaginably rich ever since Deng Xiaoping experimented with a market economy in Shenzhen and 3 other cities. While it isn’t surprising that the U.S. has the most number of billionaires (614 of them), China is catching up fast at second place with 389 billionaires.
Increasingly, we see rich Chinese choosing their citizenship in Singapore. Here are 6 Chinese billionaires that are now Singaporeans.
These billionaires have made a fortune from the companies they built. Some investors believe in betting on the founders as they must be doing something right to amass such a fortune. Hopefully this list can generate some interesting trade ideas for you.
#1 – Li Xiting – US$18.1 billion – Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics (SZSE:300760)
Li Xiting was pretty much an unknown until Covid-19 struck. He is the chairman of Mindray Medical Electronics (SZSE:300760) and the company manufactures medical devices including ventilators and lung ultrasound. These are in high demand now due to Covid-19. Li Xiting has become a Singaporean and holds 30.48% stake in Mindray. He is the richest man in Singapore with a US$18.1 billion net worth.
There’s currently a backlog of orders as the world is still battling Covid-19. The share price has done very well since it was listed in 2018, gaining 254% within 2 years. Mindray has a market capitalisation of ¥413 billion (US$59 billion). Earnings has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 49% in the past 4 years!
#2 & #3 – Zhang Yong and Shu Ping – US$19.1 billion – Haidilao (SEHK:6862)
Zhang Yong and Shu Ping are husband and wife and they are the key people behind Haidilao (SEHK:6862). They collectively held 68.6% of Haidilao shares and both have become Singaporeans. Zhang Yong is the second richest man in Singapore with a US$15 billion net worth.
Haidilao needs little introduction. A popular hotpot mainly because of its remarkable customer service – there’s manicure service and abundant snacks while you wait for your turn (because there’s always a queue). There’s also a kid’s corner while the parents can dine in peace and Haidilao dedicates a staff in the room to take care of the kids.
Haidilao’s share price has done well too, gaining 105% in less than 2 years. Covid-19 didn’t affect the sentiments and I have heard that the Singapore restaurants were fully booked after the Circuit Breaker was lifted. Haidilao has a HK$184 billion (US$24 billion) market capitalisation. Earnings has grown at a compounded annual growth rate of 68% in the past 4 years!
#4 and #5 – Forest Li and Gang Ye – $9 billion – SEA (NYSE:SE)
Forrest Li (left) and Gang Ye (right) are the founders of Sea and have 25% and 7% stakes respectively. Both are Singaporeans.
Sea has 3 business segments – gaming (Garena), e-commerce (Shopee) and fintech (seamoney). Out of which, I believe Shopee is the most prominent among Singaporeans as it has become a major e-commerce player to rival Lazada in Southeast Asia.
The stock performed superbly, gaining 613% since its IPO less than three years ago. Sea has a market capitalisation of US$53 billion. The company isn’t profitable but has doubled its revenue for the past two financial years.
#6 – Zhao Tao – $2.6 billion – Buchang Pharmaceuticals (SSE:603858)
Zhao Tao is the chairman of Buchang Pharmaceuticals (SSE:603858) and has a 50.26% stake. He is a Singaporean.
He was in the spotlight for bribery accusations – trying to get her daughter into Stanford. Mothership has published even more juicy stories about him, including his acupuncture skills and problems with Buchang’s drugs.
The share price has not done well as it has declined 57% in the past 4 years. Buchang Pharmaceuticals has a market capitalisation of ¥30 billion (US$4 billion).
Conclusion
The two richest men in Singapore are new citizens from China – Li Xiting and Zhang Yong. I believe we will see more billionaire immigrants in the future as China become more prosperous. We can ride on the bandwagon by investing in Chinese growth stocks. Here’s a guide to investing in China if you want to know how.
