Wang Xuning “CJ” invented the world’s first electric machine for making soy milk three decades ago, inspired by an elderly childhood neighbor who sold soy products and always looked exhausted.

The Chinese native expanded his empire into the US by 2017 — just in time to avoid China’s economic struggles and stock-market losses in recent years. Wang, 54, is now worth $3.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which is valuing his wealth for the first time.