China’s first-wave tycoons are retiring. Are their kids ready to step up?


As Zong’s only child, Kelly inherited her father’s multi billion-dollar fortune, but gaining control of the business was far more complex. —Agencies

WHEN Zong Qinghou – at one time the richest person in China – died in February at 79, the battle to take over his Hangzhou Waha-ha Group quickly descended into a drama worthy of the HBO series Succession.

As Zong’s only child, Kelly Zong Fuli inherited her father’s multibillion-dollar fortune, becoming the country’s wealthiest woman overnight. But gaining control of the sprawling food and beverage empire he had built from the ground up proved far more complex.

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