Zhao Jianhui
Source of wealth: Silicon carbide wafers
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Zhao Jianhui's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Zhao Jianhui could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.7 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Zhao Jianhui could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.3 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Zhao Jianhui could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.5 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 Zhao Jianhui could pay for it entirely for 0.7 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Zhao Jianhui could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.7 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Zhao Jianhui 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 0.1 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Zhao Jianhui's fortune is equivalent to 11 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.
Zhao Jianhui could buy 2,980,770 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 1 trucks to transport them. Although Zhao Jianhui will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Zhao jianhui is the chairman of Epiworld International, a maker of silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial wafers used in power devices for sectors such as EV, renewable energy and AI.
It is the world's largest SiC epitaxial foundry by both revenue and sales volume, accounting for roughly a third of the global market in 2024.
Zhang founded the company in 2011 and took it public on the Hong Kong stock exchange in March 2026.
Zhang has over 35 years of research experience and is the first IEEE Fellow selected based on their contributions to SiC technologies.
He serves as chair professor at Xiamen University in China and worked with Rutgers University in the U.S.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison