Zhang Hongchao
Source of wealth: Bubble tea
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Zhang Hongchao's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Zhang Hongchao could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 2.4 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Zhang Hongchao could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.0 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Zhang Hongchao could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.5 years.
And yes, we can also compare it with a rich country
But they couldn't just cover the cost of a poor country; Luxembourg is considered the country with the highest per capita investment in education in the world, and Zhang Hongchao could pay for it entirely for 2.1 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Zhang Hongchao could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 8.9 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Zhang Hongchao with Israel, the country that invests the most per capita in research in the world, they could cover the total cost of the system for 0.2 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Zhang Hongchao's fortune is equivalent to 36 tons of gold. It's hard to process, since we don't usually keep a handful of gold bars in our piggy banks.
A standard gold ring usually weighs between 4 and 7 grams. Let's say this one weighs 5 grams. It's usually 18 karats.
Based on today's gold price (excluding the jeweler's commission, shipping, or anything else), that ring would be worth $546.86.
Zhang Hongchao could buy 9,624,165 gold rings. That's a lot of fingers and way too many gifts!!
And if you're struggling to visualize that many rings, it would take 2 trucks to transport them. Although Zhang Hongchao will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Zhang Hongchao is the chairman of Mixue Group, the world's second biggest seller of freshly-made drinks by annual cups sold after Starbucks.
He started a shaved ice shop in 1997 in China with a homemade machine and opened the first Mixue Bingcheng store two years later.
Nearly all-franchised, the Mixue Bingcheng chain offers bubble tea, lemonade, coffee and other drinks as well as ice cream at dirt-cheap prices across more than 50,000 stores, including nearly 5,000 overseas.
The company went public in a $444 million Hong Kong IPO in March 2025.
His younger brother Zhang Hongfu, CEO of the company and also a billionaire, joined Mixue in 2007.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison