The growth of the solar industry is truly astounding, particularly in China, the world’s solar leader. Between 2011 and 2012 the Chinese solar market grew by 500 percent. According to a 2014 report by Frost & Sullivan, a consulting firm, the global solar market earned revenues of nearly $60 billion in 2013. The firm estimates that by 2020 it will double to $137.2 billion.

 

With all this growth, somebody was obviously going to get rich, and it didn’t take long for Oilprice.com to identify some of the biggest beneficiaries of the push toward renewables. The following are 5 of the world’s most successful renewable energy business leaders and their net worth.

 

1. Li Hejun, Chairman, Hanenergy Holdings. $31.5 billion. 

2. Elon Musk, Founder/CEO, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Tesla Motors. $12.2 billion.

3. Wang Chuanfu, Founder, BYD Company. $5.3 billion.

4. Aloys Wobben, Founder/Owner, Enercon. $4.2 billion. 

5. Zhu Gongshan, Chairman, GCL-Poly Energy Holdings.