The business magazine recently released its 35th annual list of billionaires, which featured a record-breaking 2,755 names. The life sciences industry was well-represented, with a handful of names featured in the top 100. Here’s a look at the top 10 billionaires including Cyrus Poonawalla from India.
1. Jiang Rensheng and family: Jiang Rensheng came in at No. 69 on the Forbes list with a net worth of $24.4 billion. Rensheng serves as chairman of Chongqing ZFSW Biological Products.
2. Li Xiting: Although Li Xiting sits in spot No. 82 on Forbes’ list of the world’s richest people, he holds the title of Singapore’s richest person with a whopping net worth of $21.5 billion. Xiting is founder and chairman of medical device supplier Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics.
3. Zhong Huijuan: Zhong Huijuan is the richest woman in the life sciences industry, landing in spot No. 89 on the Forbes list with a net worth of $19.7 billion. Huijuan chairs Chinese drugmaker Hansoh Pharmaceutical.
4. Xu Hang: With a net worth of $19.5 billion, Xu Hang wound up in spot No. 92. Hang is co-founder and serves as non-executive director of medical device company Mindray Medical International.
5. Sun Piaoyang: Sun Piaoyang was the last life sciences billionaire to sneak into the top 100 on Forbes’ list, landing a few spots below his wife, Zhong Huijuan. Piaoyang ended up in spot No. 96 with a net worth of $18.9 billion. He became head of formerly state-led Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine in 1990.
6. Seo Jung-jin: Seo Jung-jin’s net worth of $14.2 billion put him in spot No. 145 on Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest people. Jung-jin cofounded biopharmaceutical company Celltrion.
7. Cyrus Poonawalla: Cyrus Poonawalla founded Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker. This accomplishment helped land him in spot No. 169 of the Forbes list with a net worth of $12.7 billion. The company produces over 1.5 billion vaccine doses each year.
8. Cen Junda: He technically fits in list because of his investments. Junda sits in spot No. 189 on the Forbes list with a net worth of $11.6 billion. A large part of his fortune stems from his shareholding in Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group.
9 and 10. Twin brothers round out the top 10 life sciences billionaires of the year. Andreas and Thomas Struengmann tied in spot No. 200 on Forbes’ list. The brothers sold generic drugmaker Hexal to Novartis in 2005 for roughly $7 billion.
