Co-founders Zhu Shuangquan and Zhu Shunquan became billionaires after the share price of their company, Hubei Dinglong, more than doubled [1].
The wealth surge highlights the critical role of chemical suppliers in China's semiconductor industry as the nation accelerates its domestic chip production. This growth is tied to the broader global push for artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Based in Hubei province, the company provides essential chemicals used in the manufacturing of semiconductors [1], [2]. The valuation of the business rose sharply over the past year, culminating in May 2026 [1], [2].
Specific financial data indicates the company's share price saw a nearly 116% rise over the last 12 months [2]. This increase pushed the net worth of both brothers to at least $1 billion each [1].
The rise in valuation was driven by a surge in demand for semiconductor manufacturing materials [2]. Industry reports said this demand was accelerated by an AI-driven chip boom, which has placed significant strain on the existing supply chain [3].
Forbes first reported the brothers' new billionaire status on May 8, 2026 [1]. The growth of Hubei Dinglong reflects a wider trend of rapid scaling among specialized material suppliers serving the Chinese tech sector [2], [3].
“The share price of their company, Hubei Dinglong, more than doubled.”
The rapid wealth accumulation of the Zhu brothers underscores the strategic importance of the 'upstream' semiconductor supply chain. As China seeks to reduce reliance on foreign chip technology, companies providing the raw chemicals and materials necessary for fabrication become high-value assets. The correlation between the AI boom and the valuation of a chemical supplier demonstrates that the AI race is not just about chip design, but about the physical materials required to build them at scale.
