In the realm of wealth and power, the ascent of Guangzhou's richest man stands as a remarkable tale. With a mere 2.5 million yuan, he has amassed a fortune ranging from 100 to 200 billion yuan, firmly securing his position as the city's wealthiest individual.

Despite his enigmatic and low-profile nature, the individual who propelled him to this pinnacle is a renowned figure—Wang Chuanfu, the founder of BYD. Essentially, Wang Chuanfu inadvertently nurtured Guangzhou's richest man.

1. Lv Xiangyang Retains His Title as Guangzhou's Richest Man

With the release of the 2025 Hurun Global Rich List, the wealth fluctuations of the world's elite have been laid bare for public scrutiny.

At the age of 53, Elon Musk has ascended to the throne of the world's richest man for the fourth time in five years, boasting a fortune of 3.07 trillion yuan, marking a year-on-year surge of 82%.

Zhang Yiming, the 42-year-old visionary behind ByteDance, ranks 22nd globally with a net worth of 435 billion yuan, unseating Zhong Shanshan, the 71-year-old "bottled water king," as China's newest billionaire.

Furthermore, Lei Jun of Xiaomi has seen his wealth more than double to 220 billion yuan, debuting in China's top ten richest individuals. Liang Wenfeng, the 40-year-old innovator from DeepSeek, with 33 billion yuan, has made his debut on the global rich list.

Notably, Lv Xiangyang's fortune has expanded by 15 billion yuan to 155 billion yuan, up from 140 billion yuan the previous year.

On the global rich list, he ranks 93rd and continues to reign as Guangzhou's richest man. Since overtaking Xu Jiayin in 2022, Lv Xiangyang has held this title for four consecutive years.

Public data indicates that Guangzhou's GDP in 2024 stood at 3.10325 trillion yuan, meaning Lv Xiangyang's fortune equates to one-twentieth of the city's GDP.

His enigmatic and low-profile demeanor has shrouded the outside world's understanding of Lv Xiangyang and his Rongjie Empire in mystery.

2. The Man Behind His Success: Wang Chuanfu

Public information reveals that Lv Xiangyang's capital empire primarily comprises three entities: BYD, Rongjie Corporation, and Rongjie Health.

According to BYD's latest annual report, as of last year's end, Lv Xiangyang personally held 239 million shares in BYD, representing an 8.22% stake and making him the company's third-largest shareholder.

Simultaneously, Rongjie Investment, wholly owned and controlled by Lv Xiangyang and his spouse Zhang Changhong, holds a 5.33% stake in BYD.

Consequently, Lv Xiangyang and his spouse collectively hold a 13.55% stake in BYD, a figure not far behind Wang Chuanfu, the founder, who holds a 17.65% stake.

Based on BYD's current market valuation of approximately 1.08 trillion yuan, Lv Xiangyang and his spouse's shareholding translates to a wealth of up to 146 billion yuan. In comparison, Rongjie Corporation and Rongjie Health operate on a much smaller scale.

With a market value of around 7.1 billion yuan, Lv Xiangyang and Zhang Changhong, as the actual controllers, hold a 24.89% stake, equivalent to a market value of approximately 1.8 billion yuan.

Meanwhile, with a market value of approximately 2.6 billion yuan, their 16.1% stake corresponds to a market value of 400 million yuan.

It is evident that Lv Xiangyang's primary source of wealth stems from BYD, and the man behind this success is none other than Wang Chuanfu.

3. A Tale of Mutual Success Among Cousins

In fact, Wang Chuanfu and Lv Xiangyang share a close bond. Not only are they cousins, but they have also achieved mutual success and supported each other throughout their journeys.

Born into a humble family in Anhui, Lv Xiangyang embarked on his career after graduating from junior high school at 16, joining the People's Bank of China, Anhui Branch. With his exceptional work ethic, Lv Xiangyang ascended to the presidency before turning 30.

In 1993, Lv Xiangyang resigned to venture into entrepreneurship, founding Rongjie Investment in Guangzhou, where he delved into real estate and textile manufacturing.

Riding the wave of China's reform and opening-up policies, Lv Xiangyang swiftly amassed a substantial amount of initial capital.

In 1995, Wang Chuanfu foresaw the potential in the battery industry and established BYD in Shenzhen. However, he struggled with a lack of startup capital and sought assistance from his cousin Lv Xiangyang.

Perhaps driven by familial ties but more so by his faith in Wang Chuanfu's vision, Lv Xiangyang eventually invested 2.5 million yuan, becoming BYD's second-largest shareholder alongside Wang Chuanfu, with a focus on lithium-ion battery production.

At the time, 2.5 million yuan was a considerable sum. Lv Xiangyang's investment was a significant gamble, but facts have proven the accuracy of his foresight.

Subsequently, BYD swiftly emerged as a global leader in batteries and ventured into the automotive industry in 2003.

Despite initial skepticism, BYD has since become China's largest and the world's fifth-largest automaker, surpassing Tesla and firmly establishing itself as the global leader in new energy vehicle sales.

As Wang Chuanfu led BYD to dominate the new energy vehicle market with his "tech maniac" persona, Lv Xiangyang quietly amassed a colossal fortune in the background. The initial 2.5 million yuan investment has now multiplied nearly 60,000 times, reaching 146 billion yuan.

The narrative of Lv Xiangyang and Wang Chuanfu is not just a testament to grassroots success but also a harmonious blend of capital and ideals, embodying the dividends of an era.