Pang Kang: $7.4 billion (£5.8bn)
Pang Kang, 68, has no son or daughter to inherit his stake in China’s largest soy sauce manufacturer. He joined Foshan Haitian Flavouring & Food as a graduate, working his way up to chairman. Thousands of employees and now smart robots produce more than 200 different condiments at its factories, from oyster sauce to oil.