Wu Yajun
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Wu Yajun | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964 (age 61–62) Chongqing, China |
| Education | Northwestern Polytechnical University |
| Occupations | Businesswoman, journalist |
| Known for | World's richest self-made woman |
| Title | Chairwoman, Longfor Properties |
| Spouse | Cai Kui (div. 2012) |
| Children | 1 |
Wu Yajun (Chinese: 吴亚军; pinyin: Wú Yàjūn; born 1964) is a Chinese billionaire businesswoman who was at one time the world's richest self-made woman. She is the co-founder, chairwoman, and former CEO of Longfor Properties. From humble origins, she worked as a journalist and editor before moving into real estate in the 1990s, later investing in technology companies including Uber and Evernote.
As of April 2021, Wu has an estimated net worth of US$18.3 billion.[1]
Wu was born in Chongqing in 1964 to an ordinary family.[2] She graduated from the Department of Navigation Engineering of the Northwestern Polytechnical University in 1984.
Career
From 1984 to 1988, she worked at the Qianwei Meter Factory. From 1988 to 1993 she worked as a journalist and editor at the China Shirong News Agency. At the time the newspaper was controlled by the Construction Bureau of Chongqing Municipal Government, which proved essential for her in building up her network in the government and business world to then launch her career in the real estate industry.[2]
In 1995 Wu and her former husband, businessman Cai Kui, founded Chongqing Zhongjianke Real Estate Co Ltd with an initial capital investment of 10 million yuan.[2][1] The company was later renamed as Longfor Properties.[3][4] The enterprise grew rapidly thereafter, expanding from her home in Chongqing to include major cities like Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Changzhou and Dalian. She became alumni member of the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in 2007.[5] Longfor Properties went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK) in 2009; notable investors are Singapore's government, Ping An Insurance and Temasek Holdings.[1]
Wu is the chairwoman and former CEO of Longfor Properties.[6]