Chen Bang Net Worth

Chen Bang has an estimated net worth of $5.6 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Chen Bang profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $4.4 billion in 2019.

Chen Bang is a Chinese businessman and the chairman of Aier Eye Hospital Group, China's largest ophthalmology chain by number of outlets. He was born in 1965 into a military family in Changsha, and Forbes describes him as self-made.

At 17 he tried to join the army but was turned down because he was color-blind. He then worked at a state-owned enterprise in Changsha before going into business for himself as a coconut juice distributor.

His early business life was a series of ups and downs. He made and lost a fortune in property when China's real estate bubble burst, and a later venture building folk culture theme parks in Taiwan, started in 1995, also failed. Forbes says he dabbled in property and beverage distribution until he met a retired eye doctor who inspired him to open his own hospitals.

How Chen Bang made his money

Chen began setting up specialist eye hospitals in 1997 and founded the Aier private eye hospital in 2001. The company grew into a national chain, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and kept opening new hospitals across Chinese cities.

It also expanded abroad. In 2017 the company bought Clinica Baviera, the largest eye clinic group in Europe. Today Aier runs more than 800 eye hospitals and centers in China, Europe, Southeast Asia and the U.S. In May 2026 it filed for a second listing in Hong Kong.

The model that worked for Aier was to focus on one medical specialty and repeat it in city after city. Eye care such as cataract surgery and vision correction is in steady demand in China, and Aier built a brand that patients recognize. Chen's earlier failures in property and theme parks make his later success all the more striking.

How Forbes has valued Chen Bang

Forbes valued Chen at $4.4 billion in 2019 and $7.6 billion in 2020. His figure soared to $17.9 billion in 2021 as Aier's shares boomed, then eased to $12.7 billion in 2022 before rising to $13.9 billion in 2023.

It fell to $8 billion in both 2024 and 2025, and to $6.8 billion on the 2026 World's Billionaires List. As of October 20, 2026, the Forbes real-time billionaires tracker showed $5.6 billion. His fortune is tied to Aier's stock, which has cooled since its 2021 peak, but he remains one of the richest people in China's healthcare industry.