On December 6, 2009, Forbes China magazine released its 2009 list of China's wealthiest individuals, with Liu Zhou claiming the top spot as the richest person in Mainland China with a net worth exceeding 100 billion yuan.
Liu Zhou's ascent to the top of the list was a commanding one. Wang Chuanfu of BYD, who ranked second, had a net worth of just 39.6 billion yuan, leaving a gap of over 60 billion yuan between them.
Liu Zhou thus became the second person in the country to possess a net worth in the hundreds of billions. The first had been the daughter of the former head of Country Garden.
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