SHANGHAI -- China's African swine fever epidemic has devastated the country's pig herds, but the boost it has given to pork prices has shaken up the ranks of the nation's wealthy just as much as string of successful initial public offerings in Hong Kong.
Pig farmer Qin Yinglin of Muyuan Foods and his wife Qian Ying soared to No. 15 from No. 70 on the annual ranking of the country's wealthiest people, compiled by Shanghai-based Hurun Research Institute, as their assessed net worth nearly tripled to $14 billion. Qin started his herd in 1992 and Muyuan now is the largest pig farm operator in the country.
