Chen Guangbiao

A rags to riches story of genuine philanthropic success from humble origins. Guangbiao’s first sign of business acumen surfaced when he carried water and frozen foods from village to village in a bid to pay for an education. By 19, he was the richest teenager in the province. Moving into materials, Guangbiao realised the profitability in selling on recycled concrete and other industrial resources. Given the amount of production and building in China over the last ten years, Jiangsu Huangpu Renewable Resources has enjoyed an extremely profitable decade. Guangbiao has also donated around $117m to public welfare in that period.