Wu Yajun’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 |
| 2019 | $9.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $12 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $18.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $15.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $10.1 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $5.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $6.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $6.6 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $4.9 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.
Wu Yajun’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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Wu Yajun has an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Wu Yajun profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $18.3 billion.
Wu Yajun is a Chinese businesswoman who cofounded Longfor, one of China's best known property developers. Born in Chongqing in 1964 to an ordinary family, she studied navigation engineering at Northwestern Polytechnical University and graduated in 1984. Her rise from humble beginnings to the top of the property world made her, at one point, the richest self-made woman on the planet. Forbes counts her as self-made.
Her path into real estate was unusual. After school she worked at the Qianwei Meter Factory, then spent five years as a journalist and editor at the China Shirong News Agency starting in 1988. She moved into property in the 1990s and built Longfor from Chongqing into cities such as Chengdu, Beijing and Shanghai. She later served as chairwoman and CEO before stepping down as chairman in 2022.
How Wu Yajun built her fortune
Most of Wu's wealth comes from her stake in Longfor Group Holdings, a real estate developer listed in Hong Kong. The company went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2009 and drew investors such as Singapore's government, Ping An Insurance and Temasek Holdings. As Longfor sold homes in fast growing cities, the value of her shares grew with it.
Wu also has money outside the company. Her family office, set up in 2013, has invested in technology companies including Uber and Evernote. In March 2019, Barron's reported that she was once again the world's richest self-made woman after a seven year gap. Even so, her shares in Longfor remain the main driver of her net worth.
How Forbes has valued Wu Yajun
Forbes put Wu at $9.4 billion on its 2019 billionaires list and $12 billion in 2020. Her fortune then hit a high of $18.3 billion in 2021, at the peak of China's property boom. The good run did not last. She fell to $15.3 billion in 2022 and $10.1 billion in 2023 as the Chinese housing market slumped.
The drop deepened in 2024, when Forbes valued her at $5.8 billion. She recovered slightly to $6.7 billion in 2025 and was at $6.6 billion on the 2026 list. As of October 20, 2026, the Forbes real-time billionaires tracker showed $4.9 billion. Her story shows how closely a developer's wealth follows the health of the property market.
Career and money timeline
- 1984
Wu graduated in navigation engineering and joined the Qianwei Meter Factory.
- 1988
She began working as a journalist and editor at the China Shirong News Agency.
- 2009
Longfor went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
- 2013
She set up a family office that later invested in Uber and Evernote.
- 2022
She stepped down as chairman of Longfor.
Wu Yajun net worth FAQ
What is Wu Yajun's net worth?
Wu Yajun's net worth is an estimated $4.9 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Wu Yajun profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Wu Yajun get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Real estate.
How has Wu Yajun's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $9.4 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $4.9 billion (October 20, 2026).
Is Wu Yajun self-made?
Yes. Forbes lists her as self-made. She cofounded Longfor and built it into a major Chinese property developer.
What did Wu Yajun do before real estate?
She worked at a meter factory and then as a journalist and editor before moving into property in the 1990s.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Wu Yajun profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Wu Yajun profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Wu Yajun profile (April 8, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Wu Yajun profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Wu Yajun profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Wu Yajun profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Wu Yajun profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Wu Yajun profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Wu Yajun 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, Wu Yajun (accessed October 28, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
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.