W u Yajun is one of the world's wealthiest self-made women, who co-founded and built Longfor Properties into one of China's most successful and respected real estate development companies. A former journalist, she founded the company in Chongqing in 1993 with her then-husband, Cai Kui. She has since been the driving force behind the company's growth and strategy, serving as its longtime chairwoman for nearly three decades.

Under her leadership, Longfor built a reputation for high-quality residential and commercial properties and for its sound financial management, which allowed it to navigate the often-volatile Chinese real estate market more successfully than many of its more highly leveraged rivals. She took the company public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2009. In 2022, she stepped down as chairwoman, passing the role to a long-serving professional executive, though she remains a major shareholder. Her success has made her a powerful and iconic figure in the male-dominated world of Chinese business.