Wu Yajun (born 1964) is a Chinese billionaire businesswoman who was at one time the world's richest self-made woman. She is the co-founder, chairwoman, and former CEO of Longfor Properties. From humble origins, she worked as a journalist and editor before moving into real estate in the 1990s, later investing in technology companies including Uber and Evernote.
As of April 2021, Wu has an estimated net worth of US$18.3 billion.
Early life
Wu was born in Chongqing in 1964 to an ordinary family.[1] She graduated from the Department of Navigation Engineering of the Northwestern Polytechnical University in 1984.
Career
From 1984 to 1988, she worked at the Qianwei Meter Factory. From 1988 to 1993 she worked as a journalist and editor at the China Shirong News Agency. At the time the newspaper was controlled by the Construction Bureau of Chongqing Municipal Government, which proved essential for her in building up her network in the government and business world to then launch her career in the real estate industry.