CHINESE actress Zhao Wei and her husband bought nearly a 9.2 percent stake in Alibaba Pictures Group for HK$3.1 billion (US$400 million), a Hong Kong exchange filing showed. The news made a splash in China’s show business world this week.

    Zhao and her husband, Huang Youlong, have become the company’s second-largest shareholders, according to a Hong Kong exchange filing, after acquiring 1.93 billion shares of Alibaba Pictures at an average price of HK$1.6 each in December last year.

    The 39-year-old pop star established her acting career with TV drama “Princess Huanzhu” in 1998 and is also known as a film director. She is one of the most popular and enduring stars in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, with acting credits that include “Shaolin Soccer,” “Red Cliff,” and the two “Painted Skin” franchise movies. Last year, she enjoyed further success with her feature directing debut “So Young.”

    Alibaba acquired a majority stake in the Hong Kong-listed film company for US$804 million last year, before the e-commerce giant’s record-breaking initial public offering.

    While Zhao’s business and wealth might have stunned a lot of people, she is not alone in the industry. A large number of celebrities make their fortune not only via their acting talent, but also their strong business acumen.(SD-Agencies)