Factory Worker Regains Title of China's Richest Woman - Sarmad

Zhou Kunfei, 56, founder of Lens Technology, a company specializing in glass and screen manufacturing, reclaimed the title of China’s richest woman, with her net worth reaching approximately 127 billion yuan ($17.8 billion), according to Hurun’s 2026 list of China’s richest women, released on October 28.

The list showed that Zhou’s wealth increased by 15% over the past year, allowing her to surpass Zhong Huiguan, founder of Hansoh Pharmaceutical, whose net worth was estimated at around 124 billion yuan ($17.4 billion).

Born in 1970 in Hunan Province, Zhou left school as a teenager and moved to Shenzhen, where she worked in a watch glass production factory for about $1.20 a day.

At age 23, she started a small glass processing workshop, learned advanced manufacturing techniques, and later co-founded Lens Technology, which became a key supplier of glass used in smartphone screens.

Securing a contract to supply cover glass for the first iPhones in 2007 marked a turning point in her career, as her partnership with Apple helped expand her business and boost her wealth.

Zhou first topped China’s richest women list in 2015 and regained the top spot in 2026. According to Hurun, 65% of the 50 richest women in China are self-made, with their combined wealth totaling approximately 1.93 trillion yuan.