Cong Yuan Zhang founded Huali Industrial Group Company Limited, the world’s second-largest sports shoe manufacturer. Dubbed the “Shoe King”, he was proclaimed Taiwan’s richest man in 2021 with a net worth of $13.8 billion. He was born in 1948 and grew up in a rural village in Yunlin County. He started as a factory worker for a women’s shoe manufacturer and saved up money to start his own firm. Zhang has accumulated more than 50 years of shoe manufacturing experience. His family of five currently owns more than 440 billion worth of assets.

Huali Industrial has factories in China, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Dominica. Among the brands they supply are Nike, Converse, Vans, Keds, Columbia, NorthFace, Timberland, Puma, Toms, and other well-known brands. The company produces more than 180 million pairs of shoes in a year and has maintained stable capacity and shipments amidst the pandemic.