Xu Shihui built his fortune by turning a collective cookie business into Dali Foods, expanding into snacks and beverages before taking the company public and later private again. [1][2]
He built ownership by turning around an existing collective business
Forbes says Xu Shihui started out in the cookie business and became chairman of Dali Foods Group, which grew into a major Chinese snack and beverage company. [1]
Forbes' China rich-list profile says Xu is the son of a laborer who worked at Dali when it was a collective and that Xu accumulated shares by turning the business around. [2]
That history makes his wealth different from both inheritance and a clean startup: the enterprise predated his control, but his ownership and billionaire fortune arose from the value he created while transforming it. [1][2]
Dali scaled into a national food and beverage group
Forbes says Xu took Dali Foods public in Hong Kong in 2015 and built brands including Copico potato chips, Heqizheng herbal tea and Haochidian soda crackers. [1]
He later took Dali private in 2023 in a transaction valuing the company at about $6.6 billion, reinforcing that the fortune is tied to the business he spent decades scaling and controlling. [1][2]
Sources for background
Sources reviewed Sep 24, 2026.
- Xu Shihui · Forbes · Mar 10, 2026
- Xu Shihui - China's Richest · Forbes · Mar 10, 2026
Comparable Food & Beverage billionaires
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