UNLIKE America's rich, China's are hardly famous. Microsoft's Bill Gates (below, left) and Yahoo's Jerry Yang (below, right)

are known around the world. But Ms Yang Huiyan (below, left) and Mr Robin Li (below, right)?

Yet, who they are and what they decide to do with their money and influence will have political and economic consequences in China - and probably far beyond. Ms Yang, 26, is worth about US$16 billion (S$23 billion), which makes her richer than Mr George Soros, Mr Rupert Murdoch or Mr Steve Jobs. Mr Li, 38, the founder of Baidu, is now worth about US$2.4 billion, which makes him richer than Mr Yang.