The top 10 richest people in Asia in 2024

A Deeper Insight: Richest People in Asia in 2024

Mukesh Ambani

• Age: 67
• Residence: Mumbai, India
• Citizenship: India

Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, is the richest man in Asia. He ventured into the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the ownership of Mumbai Indians in 2008. While Jio, Reliance's telecom and broadband service, has drawn close to 476 million subscribers already, the recent debut of Jio Financial Services in August reflects the company's expanding horizons. Further, BlackRock and Jio Financial Services announced an agreement to form Jio BlackRock in July 2023, a joint venture to bring advanced and innovative investment solutions to investors in India.

Also Read: The top 10 richest women in India in 2024

Gautam Adani

• Age: 62
• Residence: Ahmedabad, India
• Citizenship: India

Gautam Adani heads the Adani Group, a  Rs16.22 lakh cr enterprise spanning ports, airports, energy, and green initiatives. Starting as a trading firm in 1988, he is now among the richest people in Asia. He showcased his prowess as India's premier airport operator and controller of Gujarat's significant Mundra Port. Moreover, his strategic acquisition of Holcim's Indian assets in 2022 propelled him to the position of India's second-largest cement producer.

Prajogo Pangestu

• Age: 80
  
• Residence: Jakarta, Indonesia
  
• Citizenship: Indonesia

Prajogo Pangestu, the energy and petrochemical tycoon, is the wealthiest man in Indonesia. Although he started with the timber business, today, his company, PT Barito Pacific, is among the leaders in petrochemical, plastic production, mining, and thermal energy in Indonesia. His wealth significantly increased in 2023 as his group's two companies, Petrindo Jaya Kreasi and  Barito Renewables Energy, went public.

Tadashi Yanai & family

• Age: 75
• Residence: Tokyo, Japan
• Citizenship: Japan

Tadashi Yanai is the mastermind behind Fast Retailing, a prominent clothing empire listed in Tokyo that oversees the Uniqlo chain. Fast Retailing's portfolio extends to brands such as Theory, Helmut Lang, J Brand, and GU. Notably, Uniqlo, the flagship brand, boasts a vast presence with over 2,400 stores dispersed across 25 countries, making Tadashi rank among the top 10 richest people in Asia. After launching its first store in Mumbai, India, in October 2023. Understanding the leading competition from both local and international brands, Uniqlo now aims to grow and become the leading brand in India.

Zhang Yiming

• Age: 40
• Residence: Beijing, China
• Citizenship: China

Zhang Yiming, the driving force behind the Chinese tech giant ByteDance, is best recognised for birthing the wildly popular app TikTok. It boasts a staggering user count of over 1 billion worldwide. As of May 2024, he maintains a 21 percent stake in ByteDance. However, its value is facing uncertainty due to a potential ban on TikTok in the US. Recently the US Congress has passed a new law that gave the US government authority to try to ban TikTok. Beyond TikTok's fame, ByteDance spans diverse sectors like news, education, and gaming.

Zhong Shanshan

• Age: 69
• Residence: Hangzhou, China
• Citizenship: China

Zhong Shanshan, the mind behind Nongfu Spring, a bottled water firm, ranks as the third richest man in Asia and at the top as the most affluent Chinese. From construction work to journalism and beverage sales, his journey led him to entrepreneurship. Additionally, he holds sway over Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy, a producer of swift diagnostic tests for Covid-19.

Savitri Jindal and Family

• Age: 74
• Residence: Hisar, India
• Citizenship: India

The widow of founder Om Prakash Jindal, Savitri Jindal, now chairs the Jindal Group, which includes steel, power, cement and infrastructure. After the death of the late OP Jindal, the group’s companies were divided between his sons. They run independently now. Her Mumbai-based son, Sajjan Jindal, oversees the most significant assets of the group. Not only is she one of the wealthiest Asians, but she is also the richest woman in India. Savitri Jindal has continued her husband’s legacy of helping society and communities by contributing to sectors like education, healthcare and more.

Ma Huateng

• Age: 52
• Residence: Shenzhen, China
• Citizenship: China

Ma Huateng, known as Pony Ma, guides Tencent Holdings, the Chinese internet titan. He oversees WeChat, a widely used messaging app with 1.2 billion active users, making him one of Asia's richest people. Beyond that, Tencent holds substantial interests in global gaming with a stake in Epic Games and ranks among the top video game publishers. Ma's influence spreads to Tesla and Spotify through Tencent's investments. Notably, he has recently revealed plans for Tencent to develop new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for the broader human good.

Shiv Nadar

• Age: 79
• Residence: New Delhi, India
• Citizenship: India

Shiv Nadar, the founder of HCL Technologies, is one of India's most prominent names in IT and software. He is currently chairman emeritus of HCL Technologies, as he stepped down from company chairman in 2020. Besides his business acumen and leadership capabilities, Nadar is known for philanthropy. He donated Rs2,042 crore in 2023, around Rs5.6 crore per day. His total donation to his Shiv Nadar foundation is over $1 billion. He has been awarded Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, by the Indian Government.

Li Ka-Shing

• Age: 96
• Residence: Hong Kong
• Citizenship: Hong Kong

Li Ka-Shing, one of Asia's richest persons, began his journey at 21 when he launched Cheung Kong Plastics, named after the Yangtze River, with $6,500 in savings and loans from relatives back in 1950. His Li Ka Shing Foundation's generosity is remarkable, having donated over $3.8 billion to various causes, with the lion's share directed towards Greater China. Notably, CK Hutchison Holdings, controlled by Li Ka-shing, and the Vodafone Group have recently agreed to merge their respective British telecommunications businesses to make the country’s biggest mobile operator.