S un Piaoyang is a Chinese pharmaceutical tycoon who built his fortune by transforming a state-owned drug manufacturer into one of China's most innovative and valuable pharmaceutical companies, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine. He took over as the head of the small, state-run factory in 1990 and, through a management buyout, gained control of the company. He then embarked on a strategy that was rare in China at the time: investing heavily in research and development to create new, innovative drugs, particularly in the field of oncology.

Under his decades of leadership, Hengrui has become a dominant player in China's market for cancer drugs and has also developed a strong portfolio of other medicines. He retired as chairman but returned to the company's board a few years later. His wife, Zhong Huijuan, is also a self-made pharmaceutical billionaire, who founded and runs the drugmaker Hansoh Pharmaceutical. Together, they are one of the world's wealthiest healthcare power couples, with their combined fortune derived from their separate, highly successful pharmaceutical empires.