KUALA LUMPUR: Forbes has recently released its latest list of Asia's richest billionaires. To no one's surprise, it's none other than Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani, who tops the list with an impressive net worth of US$110.4 billion.
At 66, Ambani is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries in India, making him the richest man in Asia.
While Ambani's wealth is derived from a diversified source, it is his Jio and Reliance's telecom and broadband services that help the company expand its horizons.
Furthermore, BlackRock and Jio Financial Services have announced an agreement to form Jio BlackRock in July last year, a joint venture to bring advanced investment solutions to investors in India.
Ambani is also the proud owner of India's cricket team, the Mumbai Indians, which he acquired in 2008.
In addition to Ambani, another Indian national, Gautam Adani, 61, came in second with a net worth of US$77.3 billion.
Adani heads the Adani Group, a US$81 billion enterprise spanning ports, airports, energy and green initiatives. Adani is India's premier airport operator and controller of Gujarat's important Mundra Port.
In 2022, his acquisition of Holcim's Indian assets quickly propelled him to the position of India's second-largest cement producer.
Going over the Himalayas and into China, meet Zhong Shanshan, the man behind the country's most successful bottled water firm – Nongfu Spring.
At No. 3, Zhong is a self-made billionaire with a net worth of US$67.3 billion. One of the most affluent Chinese national, Zhong started off in construction work before moving on to journalism, beverage sales and later entrepreneurship.
He is one of the important decision-makers at Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy, the company that produces the swift diagnostic tests for Covid-19.
Zhong maintained his spot from the previous year as the richest person in China, with a staggering US$62.3 billion worth of fortune.
Another famous individual who made the list is Hong Kong's Li Ka-Shing. At 95, the self-made billionaire has a net worth of US$37.9 billion and sits at No.8 on the list.
One of Asia's richest people, Li began his journey at the age of 21 when he launched Cheung Kong Plastics with US$6,500 in savings and loans from relatives back in 1950.
He is also well-known for his generosity, where he has donated over US$3.8 billion to various causes through his Li Ka Shing Foundation.
Here are Asia's wealthiest people in 2024 and their net worth, according to Forbes:
1. Mukesh Ambani (India) -- US$110.4 billion
2. Gautam Adani (India) – US$77.3 billion
3. Zhong Shanshan (China) -- US$67.3 billion
4. Prajogo Pangestu (Indonesia) – US$62.2 billion
5. Colin Zheng Huang (China) – US$48 billion
6. Zhang Yiming (China) – US$43.4 billion
7. Ma Huateng (China) – US$40.7 billion
8. Li Ka-Shing (Hong Kong) – US$37.9 billion
9. Tadashi Yanai and family (Japan) – US$37.9 billion
10. Savitri Jindal and family (India) – US$35.1 billions