L ai Jianping is a Chinese billionaire who built his fortune through a significant stake in Foshan Haitian Flavouring & Food Co., the world's largest soy sauce manufacturer. He was an early employee and executive at the company, which traces its roots back to sauce shops in the Qing Dynasty but was modernized and restructured in the 1990s and 2000s. Lai served in various roles, including as a director, during the company's critical growth phase.

Haitian Flavouring went public on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2014, a listing that created several billionaires among its top management and shareholders. Lai left the company's board before the IPO but retained a valuable equity interest. His wealth is entirely derived from the immense success of the condiment giant, which dominates kitchens across China with its soy sauces, oyster sauces, and other flavoring products.

Quick Reads:

• Major shareholder in Foshan Haitian Flavouring & Food.
• Haitian is the world's largest maker of soy sauce.
• Former executive who left before the company's 2014 IPO.
• His wealth comes from his minority stake in the listed giant.
• Resides in Foshan, Guangdong province.