Changing the Game in China

From tycoon to nationalist, gay-rights lawyer to maverick moviemaker, these people are shaping a proud new country

EAT YOUR HEART OUT, DONALD!

Who would think that China's Donald Trump would be an ex-People's Liberation Army soldier who majored in drainage at the Lanzhou Railroad College? But Wang Shi, who made a spectacular decision in 1984 when he moved to a tiny backwater called Shenzhen, is the country's most successful real estate mogul. He heeded Deng Xiaoping's call to explore the virtues of capitalism, starting a trading company that moved everything from copy machines to the odd crate of shellfish. Although private property was still a dirty word in communist China, in 1993 Wang invested in real estate. He...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!