On March 10, the Hurun Research Institute released the 2026 Hurun U40 Global Self-Made Billionaires List, which recorded a historic high of 108 entrepreneurs under the age of 40 who have built billion-dollar fortunes from scratch. This marks an increase of 30 individuals compared to the previous year.

Notably, Wang Ning, the 39-year-old founder of Pop Mart, and his family ranked second globally with a fortune of 110 billion yuan, reflecting a substantial year-on-year surge of 132%. This growth is largely attributed to the worldwide popularity of Pop Mart's trendy toy products, particularly the breakout success of its Labubu IP, which has cemented the company's leading position among the new generation of global consumer brands. Wang Ning's family shares the second spot on the list with Brett Adcock, founder of Figure AI, whose wealth soared by 1,043%. Pop Mart, established by Wang Ning, also stands as the most valuable company founded by a Chinese U40 self-made billionaire, with an estimated valuation of 230 billion yuan.

According to the ranking, the United States leads with 50 entrants, while China follows with 29, together accounting for 73% of the list. For the first time, artificial intelligence has emerged as the top wealth-creating sector globally. Among the 27 AI-related entrants, 23 are new to the list, with an average age of just 32. Edwin Chen, the 38-year-old founder of Surge AI, debuted at the top of the ranking with a fortune of 135 billion yuan.

The total wealth of all individuals on the list amounts to 2.4 trillion yuan, with an average age of 36. A record 56 newcomers were included this year, the highest number since records began in 2016. The youngest entrants are three 22-year-old AI entrepreneurs, each holding fortunes of 17 billion yuan. A historic high of 11 women made the list, including Taylor Swift with 11 billion yuan and Rihanna with 10.5 billion yuan.