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This Chinese billionaire started as a quail farmer but now owns huge agribusiness New Hope Group – who is China’s 19th-richest man Liu Yonghao?
STORYGeninna Ariton
A shoeless ‘sent-down youth’ of the Cultural Revolution tasked with carrying buckets of fertiliser in the fields, Liu Yonghao remains humble to this day, farming his own food at homes in Beijing and Chengdu
Dressed modestly, preferring T-shirts over suits, and without a hint of bling, Liu Yonghao doesn’t fit the mould of your typical Chinese billionaire entrepreneur. He speaks humbly, always goes to the same hairdressers, drove a modest Volkswagen Santana for years before being convinced to upgrade to a Mercedes, and travels in economy class making sure he gets any discounts going.
Liu also proudly owns vegetable patches at both his homes in Beijing and Chengdu, where he grows his own chilli peppers and cucumbers. His familiarity with tending the land and the fact he is often called “China’s richest chicken farmer” reveal his meek beginnings.
I grew rice and vegetables, and carried buckets of human feces. I did all the work that a peasant was expected to do
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