Zhang Yong
Source of wealth: Restaurants
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Zhang Yong's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Zhang Yong could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 2.6 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Zhang Yong could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.2 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Zhang Yong could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.7 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 Yong could pay for it entirely for 2.3 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Zhang Yong could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 9.8 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Zhang Yong 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 Yong's fortune is equivalent to 40 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 Yong could buy 10,600,520 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 Yong will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Restaurateur Zhang Yong is chairman and CEO of Sichuan hotpot chain Haidilao International Holding, which went public in 2018.
Haidilao has nearly 1,400 restaurants in Greater China. It is renowned for its spicy dishes and attentive customer service, including free manicures for waiting customers.
It spun off its overseas business Super Hi, which went public in Hong Kong in 2022 and had a dual listing on Nasdaq in 2024. Super Hi has over 100 restaurants in international markets.
Having never finished high school, the entrepreneur says he didn't even know how to prepare the typical Sichuan hotpot when he started.
Three friends, including Shu Ping who became his wife, helped with seed money, but he ran the place. He stepped down as CEO in 2022 to focus on long-term strategies, but returned to the post in 2026 to address a slump in the company's business performance.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison