Wang Chuanfu, the 43-year-old founder and chairman of Chinese electric car and battery maker BYD Co, tops the annual Hurun Rich List of the nation's wealthiest following an investment in his company by Warren Buffett that caused a five-fold surge in the share price.

With assets of $5.1 billion, he jumped 102 places from last year's ranking.

"Paper Queen" Zhang Yin, from Nine Dragons Paper, is in the second slot. Her company imports recyclable paper and processes it into packaging and paper materials, primarily for export. She is worth $4.9 billion.