ack Ma, chairman of China's e-commerce leader Alibaba Group, has surpassed Wang Jianlin, chairman of Dalian Wanda Group, to become the richest mainland Chinese, according to Forbes magazine.
As of Friday, Ma's fortune was worth $30.9 billion, compared with $30.7 billion for Wang. Ma Huateng, chairman of Tencent, took the third spot with $29.7 billion, according to the magazine.
Ma took the crown thanks to more than one-third rise in Alibaba's share price, which was $120.34 in New York on Friday.
Wang has made his wealth mainly from real estate and the entertainment industry.
Read also: Jeff Bezos is just $5 billion away from being the world's richest person
In the past few years, Jack Ma and Wang Jianlin have rotated the No. 1 spot in China's wealth rankings.
However, the rankings may be poised for another shakeup as Ma Huateng's wealth increased rapidly following a run-up in the stock price of Tencent Holdings, which operates the country's popular WeChat online messaging platform. Ma Huateng's wealth is just $1 billion less compared with Ma and Wang.
Currently, Asia's richest man is Li Ka-shing of Hong Kong, with a fortune worth $32.9 billion, according to Forbes.
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.