On 21 October 2026 the Forbes real-time list had 73 billionaires from Hong Kong, with a combined net worth of $388 billion. That is 1.9% of the world total and puts Hong Kong #9 of 77 countries on the list. On 19 January 2020 it was 67 billionaires and $335 billion (3.4% of the world).
The video shows the richest people one by one. This article looks at what the tiles cannot show: the whole list, where the money comes from, how the country total moved, and what the average billionaire looks like.
How concentrated is the wealth?
The richest person, Li Ka-shing, holds $49 billion, or 13% of the national total. The top three together hold 27% and the top ten 50%. On the world list Li Ka-shing is ranked #38.
The average billionaire from Hong Kong had $5.0B in January 2020 and has $5.3B now, roughly the same.
Where the money comes from
Counting each person under the main industry Forbes gives, real estate is the largest source of wealth in Hong Kong: $105 billion, or 27% of the total. It is followed by energy (15%), technology (15%).
How the total moved
The combined net worth of billionaires from Hong Kong started at $335 billion in 2020, fell to $279 billion on 24 March 2020 and reached its highest point of $480 billion on 1 July 2021, when the list had 70 billionaires from Hong Kong.
By 31 August 2026 (the last day of the country series) the total was $421 billion, 12% below that peak.
The number of billionaires from Hong Kong on the list ranged from 58 to 73 during this period. A person can enter or leave the list because the cut-off moves with the market, not only because their own wealth changes.
Biggest movers among the people in the video
Comparing 1 February 2020 with 21 October 2026, the largest relative gains were Robin Zeng ($11B to $43B, +299%), Wang Laisheng ($5.8B to $12B, +101%) and Wang Laichun ($5.8B to $11B, +96%).
The weakest development was Hui Wing Mau ($12B to $1.9B, -85%) and Lui Che Woo ($16B to $11B, -35%).
Who the billionaires are
Of the 73 billionaires from Hong Kong, 14 are women (19%). Ages are known for 9 of them; their average age is 44 and the median 43.
How to read the numbers
- Figures are Forbes estimates in current US dollars, taken from the real-time list. The source project states that it makes no claim to accuracy or completeness.
- A person is assigned to a country by citizenship, not by where they live. A family entry (marked “& family”) refers to the family fortune.
- Daily values are noisy because they follow stock prices, so the video steps through the data in half-month intervals and the chart above shows weekly values.
- The country series ends on 31 August 2026; the list used for the 21 October 2026 numbers is the latest one available.
Sources
Forbes real-time billionaires, compiled by komed3 (rtb-api on GitHub, MIT licence).
