Shen Wansan

Shen Wansan is a Chinese historic person who had amassed such an incredible wealth through foreign trade that he became worshiped in the popular culture as a God of Wealth.

Shen Wansan was active as a businessman during the early years of the Ming Dynasty. Although we cannot say with certainty how exactly he amassed his fortune there are three popular theories. The first says that Shen Wansan's fortune was mostly gained from agricultural products and by renting out farmland. The second says that he became rich because he inherited a considerable fortune from the Lu family, who were among the richest nobles of the Yuan dynasty. The final explanation is that he earned his wealth through overseas commerce. Probably, his wealth derived from the combination of the above mentioned factors.

In the early days of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang (r. 1368-1398), the dynasty's founder, established his capital in Nanjing and started to rebuild the city. Shen Wansan subsequently paid one third of funds required for rebuilding. However, he ended his life in exile where he was sent after enraging the Emperor for wanting to reward the soldiers on Emperor’s behalf.