IN the Hurun University of Life Rich List 2017, 10 billionaires in Shenzhen were among the top 100 richest people who had not received university education. Shenzhen ranked second after Beijing in terms of the number on the list, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

    Zhang Jun, chairman of the board of Fude Sino Life, topped all of his Shenzhen counterparts on the list with a personal fortune estimated at 30 billion yuan (US$4.36 billion).

    Zhang, born in the Chaoshan area of Guangdong, has been active investing and purchasing other businesses.

    Over the past few years, Zhang purchased stakes in a few companies including Gemdale Group, Shenzhen Agricultural Products Co. Ltd., Kaisa Group and the State-owned enterprise China Coal Energy Group. He also acquired stakes in the Shanghai-headquartered SPD Bank.

    About three decades ago, Zhang came to Shenzhen to start a business with only 100 yuan that he had borrowed. He first engaged in the electronics industry and later in real estate.

    During an ascending period of his real estate business, Zhang went to study in the United States. It was said that as one of the more than 10 kids in his home, Zhang never got a chance to go to school in his childhood, so he cherished every opportunity to learn.

    The latest data showed that his group’s insurance business was worth nearly 180 billion yuan last year. The other Shenzhen tycoons on the list include Huang Maoru of Maoye International Holdings, Liu Zhiqiang of Heung Kong Group, Huang Shizai of Great China International Group, Chen Hua of Kingkey Group.

    Most of the 10 billionaires are now or were once involved in the real estate business except for Sun Shangchuan, chairman of Tat Fook Technology.

    In terms of industries, about 24 percent of the tycoons on the list are from the real estate industry, while 19 percent engage in manufacturing and 16 percent are from the finance and investment industry.

    An analysis showed that these entrepreneurs had not earned their fortune and success based on their academic qualifications. Instead, integrity, diligence and down-to-earth attitudes are their defining characteristics.

    The report also pointed out that nearly half of the over 2,000 billionaires nationwide with personal fortunes exceeding 2 billion do not have full-time undergraduate or master’s degrees.

    Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman of the Hurun Report, said the entrepreneurs listed had built great corporations without receiving university education.

    (Zhang Qian)