3. Wu Yajun
Wu Yajun is the second wealthiest woman in China, amassing a fortune of $16.4 billion. A self-made billionaire, Yajun began her career as a factory technician earning just $16 per month. In 1993, she co-founded Longfor Properties with her husband at the time, Cai Kui.
Longfor quickly developed into one of China’s earliest mall developers—as of 2017, around 300 million people have visited a Longfor mall.
Yajun has channeled much of her wealth into philanthropy over the years, focusing on a variety of causes like education, and environmental protection.
In 2011, she donated $16 million to Northwestern Polytechnical University, where she studied her undergraduate degree, to establish the Wu Yajun Rewards Fund professorship. The fund supports alumni to become professors at the school.
Yajun also contributed $4.5 million to support the Greening Yangtze River project, which promotes sustainable development policies for the Yangtze, in 2010.
4. Yu Gang
Yu Gang, professor of innovation and entrepreneurship at CKGSB, also earned a spot on Forbes' China Philanthropy list this year. Gang is the founder of one of China's first online grocery platforms, Yihaodian.
Following the company's success, it was subsequently sold to Walmart, freeing up time and funds to co-found his next venture, 111,Inc—one of China’s leading digital and mobile healthcare platforms, offering online pharmacy and medical consultation services.
As China fought to contain coronavirus earlier in the year, 111,Inc. Helped to deliver healthcare supplies across the nation, while offering free e-consultations to patients with coronavirus. The company acted fast to deliver medical supplies to Wuhan when COVID-19 first emerged there during Lunar New Year.
