He Xiangjian Net Worth

He Xiangjian has an estimated net worth of $37.4 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, He Xiangjian profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $19.8 billion in 2019.

He Xiangjian is a Chinese entrepreneur who co-founded Midea, one of China's largest appliance makers. He is best known for helping turn a small workshop into a major manufacturing company. In 1968, he led 23 residents from Beijiao in Guangdong province to start a lid production business that later became Midea. The company now trades in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong, giving it a large public market presence.

His wealth comes mainly from home appliances through Midea Group, which grew into one of the world's largest appliance makers. He stepped down as chairman in 2012, but his fortune remained tied to the company he helped build. Midea also expanded beyond basic appliances. In 2022, it took German robotics firm Kuka private from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and became its sole owner, adding another industrial asset to the business.

How He Xiangjian built his fortune

He Xiangjian made his money in manufacturing, with home appliances at the center of his business career. His big breakthrough came from founding the workshop that became Midea in 1968. What started with simple lid production grew into a large appliance company with listings in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. That long expansion is the main reason he became one of China's richest self-made business figures.

Midea's scale is the key to his wealth, but the company also moved into industrial technology. In 2022, Midea took Kuka private and became the German robotics firm's sole owner. That deal showed how the business had grown past its early appliance roots. He stepped down as chairman in 2012, yet the value of the company he built has remained the core of his fortune and public profile.

Forbes wealth updates

Forbes has tracked large swings in He Xiangjian's fortune over time. It estimated his net worth at $19.8 billion in 2019, $21.6 billion in 2020, and $37.7 billion in 2021. The estimate then moved down to $28.3 billion in 2022 and $23.4 billion in 2023. Those changes followed the market value attached to his stake in the manufacturing business behind Midea and its related industrial assets.

Later Forbes updates showed the estimate moving higher again. It put him at $25.1 billion in 2024, $27 billion in 2025, and $33.2 billion on the 2026 World's Billionaires List. Forbes' real-time tracker later placed him at $37.4 billion in October 2026. Another money note from 2023 stands out too: he pledged to donate $410 million to create a fund for scientific research in China.