Ma Huateng

Net worth : $ 45.3bn

Also known as Pony Ma , Ma Huateng is the 17th richest person in the world , and the most valuable businessperson in Asia Pacific . Ma is chairman of one of the largest tech companies in the world , Tencent Holdings . Having begun as a gaming and messaging company , Tencent has since diversified into AI development and internetrelated services – however it is still famed for its WeChat messaging app which has over a billion users . Tencent and Alibaba continue to rival one another for the top Chinese tech company spot , and as such Tencent has also been making strides in omnichannel retail , including a recent strategic cooperation agreement with European supermarket chain Carrefour . www . tencent . com

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NOVEMBER 2018