W ang Jianlin is a Chinese real estate and entertainment magnate who is the founder and chairman of the Dalian Wanda Group. A former soldier in the People's Liberation Army, he founded Wanda in the late 1980s and built it into China's largest commercial real estate developer. He became famous for his massive Wanda Plaza mixed-use developments, which include shopping malls, hotels, and residential towers, and which have reshaped the urban landscape of cities across China. At the peak of his success, he was the richest person in China.

In the 2010s, he embarked on an aggressive, debt-fueled global expansion, aiming to build a world-class entertainment empire. He acquired the American movie theater chain AMC Entertainment, the Hollywood film studio Legendary Entertainment, and a stake in the Spanish football club Atlético Madrid. However, in recent years, facing intense pressure from the Chinese government to reduce corporate debt and curb overseas investments, he has been forced to sell off many of these international assets and downsize his empire. His fortune, while still substantial, has declined significantly from its peak.