Hui Ka Yan (許家印)

Briefly China's richest man in 2009, Hui Ka Yan is the founder of Evergrande Real Estate, a Guangzhou-based real estate developer whose shares trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Beginning operations in Guangzhou in 1996, the company has more than 18,000 employees and projects (mostly residential) in 60 cities, in China. The company pushed into commercial real estate by acquiring Kasia Plaza. It also moved into hospitality with the opening of the Chongqing Evergrande Hotel in October.