'China's Nvidia' founder enters country's 10 richest as AI chip demand surges

Chen Tianshi, founder of Chinese AI chipmaker Cambricon, has entered China's 10 richest people for the first time with an estimated fortune of $30.5 billion.

Chen ranked 10th on the 2026 Hurun China Rich List, released on Oct. 27, after his wealth increased 14% from a year earlier. He is one of three newcomers to the top 10, alongside DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng and Chen Jianhua and Fan Hongwei of industrial group Hengli.

He and Liang, also 41, are the youngest self-made entrepreneurs among China's 10 wealthiest people.

Cambricon, often dubbed the "Nvidia of China," has benefited from growing demand for domestically developed AI chips as Chinese technology companies expand their artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Hurun said the Shanghai-listed company's market capitalization had approached $100 billion, supported by surging demand for its processors and its transition to profitability.

At an investor briefing on Oct. 26, Chen said demand for AI computing power remained strong and could support continued business growth as the company expanded its market presence, Chinese newspaper National Business Daily reported.

Chen founded Cambricon in 2016 with his older brother Chen Yunji, a fellow researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Both studied at the University of Science and Technology of China, where they joined an elite program for exceptionally talented young students before pursuing careers in artificial intelligence and semiconductor research.

The brothers developed processors designed to accelerate AI computing, eventually turning their research into a commercial chipmaking business. Cambricon went public on Shanghai's STAR Market in 2020. Its rise has been supported by China's efforts to develop domestic alternatives to advanced chips from U.S. companies, particularly Nvidia, amid U.S. restrictions on semiconductor exports.

Chen's growing fortune reflects a broader shift in China's billionaire rankings toward AI and advanced technology.

DeepSeek’s Liang made his debut in seventh place with an estimated fortune of 280 billion yuan, becoming the wealthiest newcomer on this year's list. ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming reclaimed the title of China's richest person with an estimated fortune of 670 billion yuan, up 43% from a year earlier.

Hurun identified 160 entrepreneurs whose wealth is linked to artificial intelligence, representing roughly one in 10 people on the list. The 2026 ranking includes 1,529 individuals with fortunes of at least 5 billion yuan, an increase of 95 from last year. Wealth estimates were calculated as of Sept. 1, 2026.