Shi Yuzhu’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 | $1.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $1.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $6.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $3.6 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $2.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $2.9 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $2.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $4.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $2.9 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.
Shi Yuzhu’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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Shi Yuzhu has an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Shi Yuzhu profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $1.5 billion in 2019.
Shi Yuzhu is a Chinese entrepreneur and software engineer and the founder and chairman of Giant Interactive, one of China's best known online game companies. He was born in 1962 in Huaiyuan County, Anhui province.
He graduated from the mathematics department of Zhejiang University and then did postgraduate study in software engineering at Shenzhen University. His career is one of the most famous comeback stories in Chinese business: he became a celebrated entrepreneur in the 1980s, lost nearly everything, and then built a second fortune in games.
Beyond games, he has been a major investor in Chinese banking, holding stakes of more than 3% in Minsheng Bank, where he has served as a director, and in Huaxia Bank. He has also diversified into China's rice wine market. Few Chinese founders have rebuilt a fortune so publicly after losing one, which has made his name a byword for resilience in Chinese business.
How Shi Yuzhu made his money
Shi first made his fortune in computer hardware and software. In 1991 he built a huge following for his Zhuhai Giant Hi-Tech Group. But the company collapsed under the weight of massive debt taken on to build a 70-story skyscraper that was never completed, and Shi went from star to cautionary tale. The failed tower left him deeply in debt, and for years his name was linked with one of the most dramatic business collapses in modern China.
His return came through online gaming. He founded Giant Interactive, also known as ZTgame, in 2005, and its massively multiplayer game ZT Online became a hit. He took the company public in the United States in November 2007. Giant later left the New York market and in 2016 relisted on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through a reverse merger with Chongqing New Century Cruise. His fortune today is tied mostly to his Giant shares and his bank holdings.
How Forbes has valued Shi Yuzhu
Forbes put Shi's net worth at $1.5 billion in 2019 and $1.3 billion in 2020. A rally in Chinese game stocks lifted it to $6.3 billion in 2021, the peak of his recent record.
It then fell to $3.6 billion in 2022 and $2.5 billion in 2023, before stabilizing at $2.9 billion in 2024 and $2.8 billion in 2025. His figure rose to $4.2 billion on the 2026 World's Billionaires List. As of October 20, 2026, the Forbes real-time billionaires tracker showed $2.9 billion.
Career and money timeline
- 1962
Born in Huaiyuan County, Anhui.
- 1991
Built a large following for Zhuhai Giant Hi-Tech Group.
- 2005
Founded Giant Interactive.
- 2007
Took Giant Interactive public in the United States.
- 2016
Giant relisted on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
Shi Yuzhu net worth FAQ
What is Shi Yuzhu's net worth?
Shi Yuzhu's net worth is an estimated $2.9 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Shi Yuzhu profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Shi Yuzhu get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Online games, investments.
Is Shi Yuzhu a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Shi Yuzhu is worth $2.9 billion.
How has Shi Yuzhu's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $1.5 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $2.9 billion (October 20, 2026).
What game made Shi Yuzhu rich again?
ZT Online, the massively multiplayer online game from his company Giant Interactive, powered his comeback.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Shi Yuzhu profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Shi Yuzhu profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Shi Yuzhu profile (April 8, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Shi Yuzhu profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Shi Yuzhu profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Shi Yuzhu profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Shi Yuzhu profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Shi Yuzhu profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Shi Yuzhu 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, Shi Yuzhu (accessed October 30, 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.