Chen Jianhua built Hengli Group from a textile-trading start into a large integrated petrochemical and manufacturing group after leaving school young and working his way into the industry. [1][2]
A difficult start preceded the creation of Hengli
Forbes says Chen was born into an impoverished family and left school at age 13, giving him an unusually constrained starting point compared with most billionaire founders. [1]
He later made money trading textiles and acquired a state-owned chemical-fiber factory, using that operating foothold to establish the business that became Hengli Group rather than inheriting a mature industrial company. [1]
Hengli says the group was established in 1994 and subsequently expanded across refining, petrochemicals, polyester, chemical fibers and textiles, creating an integrated chain from raw petroleum inputs through finished fabric. [2]
Industrial integration became the main wealth engine
Chen remains chairman and president of Hengli Group, and the company's own description emphasizes repeated upgrading and expansion across multiple capital-intensive industrial sectors under his leadership. [2]
His fortune is therefore tied primarily to founder-created operating scale. The reviewed evidence also documents major early financial and educational disadvantage, distinguishing his path from founders who began with family capital or an inherited enterprise. [1][2]
Sources for background
Sources reviewed Sep 24, 2026.
- Chen Jianhua · Forbes · Mar 10, 2026
- Chairman's Address · Hengli Group
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