Yu Minhong’s net worth over time
Only dates with a published estimate are shown. Nothing is filled in between. Tap or hover a bar to see the source.
See the numbers as a table
| Date | Estimate | Source |
| 2018 | $2.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2018 |
| 2019 | $2.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $4.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2023 | $1.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $2.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $1.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $1.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $1.9 billion | Forbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate |
Where the money comes from
These are the main sources of wealth named in the reporting we cite. No published source breaks the total into exact amounts, so we do not show percentages.
Yu Minhong’s fortune in real-life terms
Based on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate above. Median full-time U.S. pay is $65,416 a year ($1,258 a week, BLS, Q2 2026), before taxes. Typical (median) U.S. family net worth is $216,100 (Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances).
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Yu Minhong has an estimated net worth of $1.9 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Yu Minhong profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $4.4 billion.
Yu Minhong, also known as Michael Yu, is the founder and chairman of New Oriental Education and Technology Group, one of China's largest private education companies. Born on 4 September 1962 into a rural family in Jiangyin, Jiangsu, he failed the university entrance exam twice before winning a place at Peking University, where he majored in English. Forbes counts him as self-made.
After graduating in 1985, Yu stayed on at Peking University as an English instructor. He later started his own school, and New Oriental opened on November 16, 1993, with Yu as its only English teacher. As enrollment grew, he brought in former classmates to help teach and run the business. His success earned him the nickname of China's richest teacher.
How Yu Minhong built New Oriental
Yu's wealth comes from New Oriental, which he turned from a single classroom into a national brand. The company offers English and other language classes, test preparation for study at home and abroad, tutoring, school programs and online learning. By 2010 it had about 10.5 million enrollments, 465 learning centers in 44 cities and 29 bookstores.
A key moment came on September 7, 2006, when New Oriental listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It was the first Chinese private education company to do so, and the listing turned Yu and many early colleagues into wealthy shareholders. The company kept expanding, and by November 30, 2015, it had more than 17,000 teachers in 53 cities and an online network with about 11.9 million registered users.
How Forbes has valued Yu Minhong
Forbes estimated Yu at $2.4 billion in 2018 and $2.3 billion in 2019. His figure rose to $3 billion in 2020 and peaked at $4.4 billion in 2021. It then fell sharply, and Forbes put him at $1.5 billion in 2023. Because his fortune is tied to New Oriental's stock, his estimate follows how investors value the business.
His estimate has partly recovered since. Forbes valued him at $2.5 billion in 2024, then $1.7 billion in 2025 and $1.8 billion on its 2026 World's Billionaires List. As of October 20, 2026, the Forbes real-time billionaires tracker showed $1.9 billion. Yu has also branched out, leading the council of Gengdan Institute from 2013 and setting up an angel investment fund in 2014.
Career and money timeline
- 1985
Yu graduated from Peking University and began teaching English there.
- 1993
He founded New Oriental School on November 16.
- 2006
New Oriental listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
- 2013
He was elected president of the council of Gengdan Institute.
- 2014
He set up an angel investment fund with Sheng Xitai.
- 2026
Forbes' real-time tracker estimated him at $1.9 billion in October 2026.
Yu Minhong net worth FAQ
What is Yu Minhong's net worth?
Yu Minhong's net worth is an estimated $1.9 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Yu Minhong profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Yu Minhong get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Education.
Is Yu Minhong a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Yu Minhong is worth $1.9 billion.
How has Yu Minhong's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $2.4 billion (2018, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2018). The latest is $1.9 billion (October 20, 2026).
Why is Yu Minhong called China's richest teacher?
He started New Oriental as its only English teacher in 1993 and built it into a major education company that listed in New York in 2006.
What does New Oriental offer?
It offers language classes, test preparation, tutoring, school education and online learning.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Yu Minhong profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2018, Yu Minhong profile (March 6, 2018)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Yu Minhong profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Yu Minhong profile (April 8, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Yu Minhong profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Yu Minhong profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Yu Minhong profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Yu Minhong profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Yu Minhong profile (March 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2026) (July 2026)
- Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (median family net worth, Table 4) (October 2026)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Yu Minhong (accessed October 27, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: Peter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Every number on this page is an estimate published by the source named next to it. We never fill in years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.