Wang Ning (businessman)

Wang Ning (王宁, born 1987) is a Chinese businessman. He is the CEO of Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company he founded in 2010.[1] As of February 2026, Wang has an estimated net worth of US$19.6 billion, according to Forbes.[2]

Early life and education

Wang was born in 1987 in Huojia County, Henan, China. His parents ran a small commerce business.[3]

He was graduated from Sias University in 2009 with an undergraduate degree in advertising. Wang earned an MBA from Peking University's Guanghua School of Management in 2017.[4]

Career

After graduating in 2009, Wang worked a year at Sina Corporation.

Taking inspiration from Gashapon vending machines in Japan, Wang founded Pop Mart in 2010 as a variety store in Zhongguancun, Beijing.[5] Over the years, he began to develop toy lines in partnership with artists, including the Hong Kong-based Kenny Wong.[6]

In December 2020, Pop Mart went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.[7]

As of December 31, 2024, Wang held approximately 48.73% of Pop Mart’s issued shares through controlled corporations and a trust.[8]

Pop Mart gained widespread attention in 2023 with the popularity of the Labubu toy line, which has since been endorsed by several celebrities, including Blackpink's Lisa.[9] As a result, Wang became China's 10th richest individual in June 2025.[10]

See also

References

  1. Eric Surbano. Everything to Know About Pop Mart Founder Wang Ning www.prestigeonline.com, June 27, 2025, retrieved 2025-06-30^
  2. Wang Ning & family Forbes, retrieved 2025-07-12^
  3. 河南省商务厅-"新质豫商"系列访谈丨王宁:潮玩王国源起河南小城 hnsswt.henan.gov.cn, retrieved 2025-06-30^
  4. Ning Wang - 9992.HK www.wsj.com, retrieved 2025-06-30^
  5. Jasmine Li. This millennial-founded Chinese company scored a $6 billion valuation selling mystery toys. Now it wants to cash in on America's cuteness craze Fortune, May 18, 2024, retrieved 2025-06-30^
  6. Yue Wang. Master Of Mystery: The New Billionaire Who Made A Fortune Selling Toys In Blind Boxes Forbes, July 2, 2020, retrieved 2025-06-30^
  7. Andrew Teoh Beng Jin, Bijay Kumar Kandel, Aniruddha Bhattacharjya. ICIDC 2023: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Information Economy, Data Modeling and Cloud Computing, ICIDC 2023, June 2–4, 2023, Nanchang, China European Alliance for Innovation, 2023-08-02^
  8. Annual Report 2024 Pop Mart International Group, 26 March 2025, retrieved 20 September 2025^
  9. Lara Johnson-Wheeler. And They Call It Plushie Love: Fashionable People on Their Labubu Obsession Vogue, 2025-05-31, retrieved 2025-06-30^
  10. Yue Wang. Pop Mart's Wang Ning Is China's 10th Richest Thanks To Labubu Mania Forbes, June 12, 2025, retrieved 2025-06-30^