Zhang Wenzhong Net Worth

Zhang Wenzhong has an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Zhang Wenzhong profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $3.9 billion.

Zhang Wenzhong, also known as Daniel Zhang, is a Chinese scholar and businessman who founded Wumart, a multi-brand retailer with supermarkets and department stores, and chairs the retail technology company Dmall. He was born on 1 July 1962 in Jimo County, now part of Qingdao, and Forbes describes him as self-made.

He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's in management from Nankai University, then a doctorate from the Institute of Systems Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He did postdoctoral research at Stanford University's School of Engineering. Before going into business he worked on economic research at the Development Research Center of China's State Council.

He remains closely tied to academia. He is a life member of the Nankai University council and a distinguished professor there.

His story is one of the most unusual among China's billionaires. Few business founders have gone to prison, been released and later been fully cleared by the country's highest court, and his case was widely seen as a test of how China protects private property and entrepreneurs.

How Zhang Wenzhong made his money

Zhang opened his first Wumart supermarket in Beijing in 1994. The chain grew into one of China's best-known grocery retailers and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2003. It was taken private again in 2016, and Zhang is its controlling shareholder.

His career was interrupted for years. He was arrested in 2006, and in 2008 a court in Hebei sentenced him to 18 years in prison on charges of misappropriation, bribery and fraud, later cut to 12 years. He was released early in 2013. While in prison he spent his time reading and researching, and he patented four inventions.

In 2018, China's Supreme People's Court overturned his convictions and cleared his record, ruling his case a wrongful conviction. His comeback has since focused on bringing technology into stores through Dmall alongside the Wumart business.

How Forbes has valued Zhang Wenzhong

Forbes valued Zhang at $2.7 billion in 2019. His figure rose to $3.2 billion in 2020 and $3.9 billion in 2021, his highest, before easing to $3.6 billion in 2022 and $2.9 billion in 2023.

It dropped to $1.3 billion in 2024 and stayed there in 2025, then edged up to $1.4 billion on the 2026 World's Billionaires List. As of October 20, 2026, the Forbes real-time billionaires tracker also showed $1.4 billion.