A former factory worker who dropped out of school as a teenager has become China’s richest woman, with an estimated fortune of 127 billion yuan (approximately ₹ 1.8 lakh crore). Zhou Qunfei, 56, is the founder of Chinese glass manufacturing giant Lens Technology and has reclaimed the top spot on the country’s richest women list.
She went on to co-found Lens Technology, which grew into a major supplier of glass screens for smartphones. The company’s fortunes changed significantly after it began supplying glass covers for Apple’s first iPhones in 2007. Apple accounted for nearly half of Lens Technology’s main business revenue between 2011 and the first half of 2014, according to the company’s prospectus.
Meanwhile, according to Hurun, 65% of the 50 richest women in China are self-made, with their combined wealth reaching a record 1.93 trillion yuan. The company has since diversified beyond smartphones into electric vehicles, artificial intelligence-related hardware and robotics. Lens Technology is now among the companies looking to capitalise on China’s growing high-tech manufacturing sector, particularly in AI and robotics.
However, Zhou’s fortune faced a setback in 2018 when the US-China trade war and concerns over Apple’s sales contributed to a sharp fall in Lens Technology’s share price.
