China's King of Debt Has a $35 Billion Fortune, Lots of Doubters

  • Evergrande’s Hui Ka Yan has gotten rich off a borrowing binge
  • Some analysts worry that the company has too much leverage
Hui Ka YanPhotographer: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg
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Donald Trump once called himself the “king of debt.’’ Hui Ka Yan, China’s richest property mogul, has a much stronger claim to the throne.

No one has gotten wealthier on the back of a corporate borrowing binge than Hui. His junk-rated China Evergrande Group is not only the nation’s most indebted developer, it also has the highest leverage among companies underlying the world’s largest fortunes.