Married a Man 19 Years Her Senior, Worth 11 Trillion Won at 30... Charity Gala Buzzes Over the "Legendary Milk Tea Beauty"

"Milk Tea Girl" Zhang Zetian Appears at Hong Kong Charity Event
Fortune Estimated at Approximately 11.76 Trillion Won
Richest Female Tsinghua Alumna

Zhang Zetian, who made headlines across Asia as the "Milk Tea Girl" after a photo of her holding a cup of milk tea as a teenager went viral, has drawn attention again after appearing at a charity event in Hong Kong. Her journey from an ordinary student to a Chinese billionaire has also come back into the spotlight.

Zhang Zetian. Zhang Zetian's Instagram

According to Vietnamese outlet VNExpress on November 2, Zhang recently attended a charity gala at the M+ Museum in Hong Kong, attracting attention from local media. The event drew many of Hong Kong's most prominent figures from business and entertainment, including Ho Siu-ching and Ho Siu-lin, daughters of "King of Gambling" Stanley Ho, actor Chow Yun-fat and his wife, and Carina Lau.

At the event, Zhang wore an elegant gown from the 2026-2027 collection, inspired by sculptural art. The distinctive structure of the outfit, which incorporated an internal frame, along with her refined makeup and simple hairstyle, earned praise from fashion bloggers as "the epitome of graceful yet sophisticated beauty."

Turned Down Showbiz Offers and Enrolled at Tsinghua University

Zhang first became known to the public in 2009, when she was a high school student. A photo of her in her school uniform, with her hair in a ponytail and a cup of milk tea in hand, sparked an explosive response online and earned her the nickname "Milk Tea Girl."

Zhang Zetian. Social media screenshot.

Later, acclaimed Chinese film director Zhang Yimou offered her the lead role in the film "The Fig," but she made headlines again by flatly turning it down, saying, "I want to focus on my studies." She went on to demonstrate her exceptional intelligence by gaining early admission to Tsinghua University in 2011, one of China's most prestigious universities. During her student years, she also worked as a product manager intern at Microsoft (MS).

Married JD.com Founder Liu Qiangdong... Amassed 1.1 Trillion Won in Wealth

While studying in the United States, Zhang met Liu Qiangdong (Richard Liu), founder of Chinese e-commerce company JD.com, who is 19 years her senior. The two began dating and married in 2015. Soon after the wedding, Zhang became involved in expanding JD.com's fashion and luxury business.

Zhang Zetian. Zhang Zetian Instagram

In 2015, official Sephora and Luxottica stores opened on the platform, and the luxury business expanded with the launch of the "Italian Fashion Mall" in partnership with Milan Fashion Week. Zhang also broadened her investment activities, including investing in Uber through Liu Qiangdong's family fund. Reports also emerged in 2020 that she had acquired a 1% stake in Tianchang Group, an investment firm she established with Liu.

As a result, at the age of 24 in 2017, Zhang was named to New Fortune's list of the world's 500 richest people and ranked 42nd on Forbes China's list of the 100 richest people. According to wealth research institute Hurun, her fortune is estimated at 60 billion yuan (approximately 1.176 trillion won), making her the third-wealthiest Tsinghua University alumnus and the wealthiest woman among the university's graduates.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.