Wang is the founder and chairman of Dalian Wanda Group, a closely held conglomerate with interests in property development, cinemas and retail. The Beijing-based business had revenue of 214.3 billion yuan ($31 billion) in 2018. It became the world's largest cinema operator after buying AMC Entertainment for $2.6 billion in 2012.
Wang Jianlin's net worth of $15.1B can buy ...
... and is equivalent to ...
The majority of Wang's fortune is derived from his 56% stake in Dalian Wanda Commercial Management, a unit of the closely held Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group. Wang holds the stake directly and through his son and wife, and is attributed all of these shares to reflect his status as founder.
Wanda Commercial Management reported revenue of 107 billion yuan ($15.4 billion) in 2018, according to the company's 2018 annual report. It's valued using the average enterprise value-to-sales and price-to-earnings multiples of three publicly traded peer companies: China Vanke, Longfor Properties and Shimao Property.
Wang also owns 50% of publicly traded Wanda Film Holding, according to a company filing dated May 23, 2019.
Wang holds 53 percent of AMC Entertainment Holdings, according to a filing dated April 2, 2019.
Wanda Department Stores sold Suning.Com for 2.7 billion yuan, according to Suning's 2018 annual report, and this asset was removed from the analysis on June 14, 2019. Other changes made on this date include an update to the financials used in determining the value of Wanda Commercial per the company's 2018 annual report and a reduction in the carrying value of Wanda Internet and Zhuhai Yinlong.
Wanda Sports began trading publicly on July 26, 2019 and Wang's stake is calculated based on his shareholding as disclosed in the company's prospectus. It was previously valued based on the purchase price and this change led to a decrease in the calculation of about $500 million.
The billionaire has collected more than 1,000 artworks worth $1.6 billion. Other assets include financial, sports and tourism businesses, and residential property in London.
Liabilities reflect the cost of assets as well as corporate debt.
Yang Zhuo, a spokesman for Wanda Group, declined to comment on Wang's net worth.
Wang was born to a military family in western China's Sichuan province in 1954. His father took the family to northeastern China when he was 15 years old, one year before his son enlisted in the People's Liberation Army. Wang served for 16 years before he was honorably discharged.
He started working as a government clerk in Xigang district in the northern port city of Dalian in 1986, and later took a job at an indebted residential developer affiliated with the district government.
Wang changed the company's name to Dalian Wanda and became the general manager in 1992. During the next 20 years, he developed the business into a diversified conglomerate with interests in commercial property development, tourism, entertainment and department store chains across China.
Wanda agreed in May 2012 to buy AMC Entertainment Holdings for $2.6 billion as part of Wang's efforts to expand into the U.S. and create the world’s biggest cinema company. Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties went public in a December 2014 initial public offering in Hong Kong.
Wang also owned Dalian Wanda Football Club when it held the title in the 1990s, according to reports in the local media. He bought a 20% stake in Spain's Atlético Madrid for $52.3 million in January 2015. Xinhua News Agency also reported in 2011 that Wang would spend over $78 million to train young Chinese soccer players in Europe.
Wang told Economic Information Daily that his only son, Wang Sicong, isn't interested in succeeding him and the billionaire will ensure he has a "powerful" board with capable professional managers.