Lei William Ding

Lei William Ding launched NetEase in June 1997 and built it from a dozen people to a private firm with over 300 employees. He is one of the richest Chinese billionaires.

Ding spent his first two years investing money and time on the development of Internet-related software, including China's first bilingual e-mail system. This strategy, which was launched in November 1997, aided in the popularization and expansion of the Internet in China.

Ding claims he isn't interested in quantifying the rise and collapse of companies on paper.

Nonetheless, NetEase's performance has been spectacular, though a little rocky: The company's Nasdaq share value increased from 95 cents in January 2002 to $70 in less than a year and a half. It was a spectacular recovery from September 4, 2001, probably NetEase's lowest day, when Nasdaq shut the firm down on charges that it had filed a fake report of its 2000 revenue.

Net worth: : $28.3 billion