Heze, known as the “Capital of Peonies,” is located in southwestern Shandong at the junction of Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, and Anhui provinces, serving as a key gateway connecting Shandong with Central China. Since ancient times, Heze has been a land of outstanding people and natural beauty, having produced countless distinguished scholars and exceptional talents throughout history. The business world in Heze has also produced a wealth of talent. Especially since the Reform and Opening-Up, a group of ambitious young people with dreams in their hearts began venturing beyond their hometowns in search of new opportunities. Through their wisdom and hard work, they have created one business success story after another for the people of Heze across the country and in various industries.

By combining data from the 25th edition of the “Hurun Rich List,” recently released by the Hurun Research Institute, with relevant information from the A-share market, we have identified seven entrepreneurs from Heze who have made their fortunes outside the city and are worth over 100 million yuan (excluding entrepreneurs based in Heze). Together, they comprise this year’s “The Seven Wealthiest People in Heze, Shandong, in 2024 (Non-Locals)”. These seven individuals have a combined net worth of 28.3 billion yuan. As for the source of their wealth, without exception, all seven achieved financial freedom through starting their own businesses or participating in entrepreneurial ventures; each can be considered a role model for those who built their fortunes from scratch. Next, BOSS Research Society will take you on a journey to discover the remarkable stories of these seven business titans who hail from Heze.

Wealth Calculation Rules: We prioritize data from the *Hurun Rich List*; for entrepreneurs not included on the list, we calculate their wealth using the formula: (company’s latest market capitalization × shareholding percentage + net profit dividends accrued over the years + cumulative gains from historical share sales). Unlisted companies are not included in this analysis for the time being.

No. 7: Chang Houchun, Founder of Dison Co., Ltd.

Chang Houchun was born in 1962 in Shan County, Heze City, and currently resides in Guangzhou. Due to his parents“ job transfers during his early years, Chang Houchun lived with them in places such as Ningxia and Sichuan. After graduating from Xi’an University of Science and Technology, he was assigned to teach at Ningxia University, where he began his career as a university professor. In 1991, at the age of 29, Chang Houchun gave up his ”secure government job” and set out alone for Guangzhou to seek his fortune. In 1993, he founded Dison Co., Ltd., which became one of the earliest companies in China to engage in the production of environmentally friendly oil and gas boilers. He led his team to successfully develop China’s first environmentally friendly and clean central hot water unit. After more than three decades of development, Dison Co., Ltd. has now grown into a leading comprehensive clean energy service provider in China. Mr. Chang Houchun and his family members currently have a combined net worth of approximately 600 million yuan.

No. 6: Li Jixi, Chairman of Weipai Ge

Li Jixi was born in 1972 in Cao County, Heze City, and currently resides in Shanghai. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Shandong University. After graduating, Li Jixi worked at various companies in Jinan, Qingdao, and Beijing. In 2002, unwilling to settle for the status quo, Li Jixi and several friends founded a small company in Beijing that acted as an agent for the sale of machinery and equipment, where he earned his first fortune.

As industrialization and urban development continued to advance, water pollution became an increasingly pressing issue. Li Jixi, with his keen business acumen, recognized a new business opportunity in this situation. In 2007, he founded Weipai Ge in Beijing and has been fully immersed in the water treatment industry ever since. In 2011, seeking greater growth opportunities, Li Jixi led Weipai Ge in relocating to Shanghai, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the company’s history. Today, under his leadership, Weipai Ge has grown into a leading comprehensive water treatment service provider in China. Mr. Li Jixi and his family members currently hold a combined net worth of approximately 2.4 billion yuan.

No. 5: Guo Xinping, Founder of Hezhong Sizhuang

Guo Xinping was born in Heze in 1965 and currently lives in Beijing. His childhood idol was Professor Qian Xuesen, so Guo Xinping resolved from an early age to become an aerospace scientist when he grew up. In the college entrance exam that followed, he was admitted to Beihang University, where he subsequently earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. After completing his studies, Guo Xinping remained at the university as a faculty member, teaching in the Department of Communications and Electronic Systems at Beihang University. In 1992, Guo Xinping developed a navigation software program for the Ministry of Aviation and received a generous payment of 500,000 yuan—an absolutely enormous sum at the time. It was then that Guo Xinping first experienced the joy of making money; shortly thereafter, he resigned from his stable teaching position to enter the business world.

In the mid-1990s, Guo Xinping made a fortune by acting as a distributor for navigation products from Garmin, a U.S.-based GPS system supplier. In 1998, Guo Xinping founded HZST and began independently developing navigation devices. After years of innovation and growth, HZST has now become a world-class manufacturer of satellite navigation equipment. Starting in 2013, Guo Xinping began frequently selling off his shares in HZST, cashing out a total of 1.8 billion yuan. He has since stepped down from HZST’s management but still holds approximately 22.21% of the company’s shares, remaining its largest shareholder. Mr. Guo Xinping’s current net worth is approximately 3 billion yuan.

No. 4: Luo Yanjie, Chairman of Gravity Media

Luo Yanjie was born in 1973 in Yuncheng County, Heze City, and currently resides in Beijing. He was formerly a civil servant with the Shandong Provincial Forestry Department and later worked for a time at both the Shandong Women’s Cadre College and Shandong Shibo Business Company. In 2002, Luo Yanjie founded Shandong Gravity Media Advertising Co., Ltd. in the provincial capital of Jinan. Although the company did not make a major splash, it allowed him to accumulate extensive experience and build a strong network of contacts in the advertising and media industry.

In 2005, Luo Yanjie moved to the capital, Beijing, to make a comeback by founding Gravity Media. Starting by taking on full-service, cross-media campaigns for brands such as the Ford Mondeo, Ford Focus, and Synutra Group, the company gradually established a firm foothold in the advertising and media industry. After years of dedicated work in the industry, Gravity Media has now grown into a leading company in China’s television and online media advertising sectors. Mr. Luo Yanjie and his family members currently have a combined net worth of approximately 3.2 billion yuan.

No. 3: Qiao Luyu, Chairman of Jinjia Co., Ltd.

Qiao Luyu was born in Heze in 1956 and currently lives in Shenzhen. He is the oldest of the seven. Qiao Luyu did not have a high level of education; after finishing high school, because the national college entrance exam had been suspended at the time, he had no option to continue his studies and traveled to Guizhou to work at the Tongren Machinery Factory. In the early 1980s, he was transferred back to his hometown of Heze, where he was responsible for equipment maintenance at the Heze Cigarette Factory. In 1993, Qiao Luyu resigned to enter the business world and went to Shenzhen to start his own company, “Hao’erya,” which specialized in the packaging business.

At that time, cigarettes on the market lacked anti-counterfeiting labels, leading to a proliferation of counterfeit cigarettes, which made Qiao Luyu realize the business opportunity. In 1996, he founded Jinjia Co., Ltd. and was the first in the industry to introduce laser anti-counterfeiting technology for cigarettes. Jinjia Co., Ltd. subsequently gained widespread recognition and, seizing this opportunity, rapidly expanded into a leading large-scale, comprehensive packaging industry group in China. Mr. Qiao Luyu’s current net worth is approximately 4.1 billion yuan.

No. 2: Cui Lei, Actual Controller of Sanrenxing Media Group

She is a model of entrepreneurial success among college students and an outstanding representative of the new generation of entrepreneurs born in the 1980s from Heze. Cui Lei was born in 1981 in Dongming County, Heze City, and currently resides in Xi’an, Shaanxi. While studying at Chang’an University, Cui Lei met Qian Jundong, a young man from humble beginnings in Wuhu, Anhui, and they became a couple. During their junior year, Cui Lei and Qian Jundong co-founded “Sanrenxing” and gradually built it into a leading digital marketing service provider in China.

In 2020, Sanrenxing was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, becoming the first publicly traded company in Shaanxi Province founded by college students. After Sanrenxing Group’s development was firmly established, Cui Lei chose to step back from the limelight. Currently, she no longer holds any director, executive, or supervisory positions at Sanrenxing Media Group, but remains the company’s actual controller. Ms. Cui Lei and her husband, Qian Jundong, rank 1,008th on this year’s Hurun Rich List with a combined net worth of 6 billion yuan; they are new entrants to the list this year.

No. 1: Jiang Wei, the Actual Controller of Haohai Bio-Tech

Jiang Wei was born in 1964 in Juye County, Heze City, and currently resides in Shanghai. He is an extremely low-key person who rarely appears in public—so much so that even after searching the entire internet, we could hardly find a single photo of him. All we know is that he left his hometown in his early years to seek his fortune in Jiangsu. Jiang Wei’s wife, You Jie, is a medical expert who has made many significant research contributions in the field of biomaterials technology. She has long hoped to establish a company to bring these achievements to market.

To support his wife’s entrepreneurial venture, in 2007, Jiang Wei invested all his savings and, together with You Jie and several other partners, founded Haohai Bio in Shanghai. Today, Haohai Bio has become a world-class supplier of medical biomaterials. Although Jiang Wei currently holds no executive position at the company, he remains Haohai Bio’s largest shareholder and actual controller. Mr. Jiang Wei and his wife, You Jie, rank 669th on this year’s Hurun Rich List with a net worth of 9 billion yuan, marking an increase of 3 billion yuan compared to the same period last year and a rise of 381 places in the national rankings.

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