the Fortune 500 panies and 60％ of all publicly held panies。
Spending time away from the family while building their businesses； coupled with the change in financial circumstances bined to put strain on their traditional family unit。 Moreover； with over a third of our entrepreneurs now no longer living in their hometown or home province （having moved their business headquarters to financial centers； such as Hong Kong； Shanghai or Beijing）； new personal opportunities have added to the family strain。 From our interviews； we have noted that the pressure of running their own business has often resulted in neglect of their families。 In several cases； such as Cao Dewang； entrepreneurs have even discussed divorce with their spouses； but for the most part have decided to stay together。
Friends
Time is our most valuable resource。 The entrepreneurs we interviewed rank their closest friends as the people they have spent most time with。 More often than not； these friends are childhood； business or army friends。 Trust is key。 Our results are skewed somewhat； because the average age of the entrepreneurs we interviewed is slightly above that of our China Rich List； resulting in many of these entrepreneurs ing from the generation； which had to do military service。 In the US； by contrast； many entrepreneurs meet their future partners at school or 's top entrepreneurs have split with their erstwhile partners； be they family or friends。 This is not unique to China； because as the business grows； so personalities or other factors bine to outgrow the original relationship。
During the course of my research； I have found that many entrepreneurs in China have striven to create a 'club' for their friends and business contacts； formalizing the 'intangible assets' they have generated over their careers。 For the people I have met； this has included golf clubs； football clubs； private clubs and restaurants。 Stock market investors tend to invest into the restaurant business。 A good way to hear new information and create a sense of belonging 。。。 belonging to the world they have created。
Four Relationsh…
'A friend indeed'
An English saying has it that 'a friend in need is a friend indeed。' Many of China's top entrepreneurs have had to face up to difficult times。 At just such a point； the entrepreneurs we interviewed found themselves most reliant on their closest relations： their immediate family and best friends。
'What makes Bill Gates tick？'。 According to veteran internet journalist Robert X。 Cringely； at the heart of it lies Gates' petitive nature； fostered by his grandmother； and played out in board games and family athletic contests。
Unlike almost all of China's top entrepreneurs today； Gates was born into a well…to…do family。 He had a strong relationship with his mother； a bank director； who prodded him with guidance。 His father was a successful lawyer。 He met Paul Allen； Microsoft's co…founder； at high school； and later went up to Harvard with him。 But it was only when Allen was diagnosed with a serious illness； leaving Gates in sole charge of Microsoft； that he honed his executive skills。
Relationship with the country
〃China is like a university student just about to graduate；〃 said Sun Guangxin； chairman of Guanghui Group in late 2001。 〃The student knows much of what needs to be done and is preparing to go out into the world。 The Olympics and WTO will have a stimulant effect on China's economy； driving people to bee more petitive。〃
In the US； shareholder value is generally accepted as the reason for running a business； but in China there is a strong feeling； amongst many of the entrepreneurs I have met； of wanting to improve the lot of the people around them and； thereby； earning their respect。
Book series
'The Emotional Make…up of China's Entrepreneurs' is the fifth book in our series on entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in China。 Our first book sets out； in a simple dictionary…style format； some of the basic facts relating to Mainland China's 100 wealthiest entrepreneurs； together with a description of the evolution of the China Rich List； as published for the last four years in Forbes Global magazine。 Our second book； 'Qualities for Wealth' sets out ten characteristics that make up a successful entrepreneur。 Our third book 'Key Moments in Wealth Creation' highlights the critical turning points for our entrepreneurs； who describe when these moments arose and the factors that influenced their decision…making。 Our fourth book 〃Fortune Genes' explores the values our entrepreneurs profess to have and the way they educate their children； with a view to providing a benchmark against which people canmeasure their own success。 The purpose of this book series is to go beyond the China Rich List and start to dig out trends and ideas that e out of it。
'The Emotional Make…up of China's Entrepreneurs' is a book that takes a unique look at the link between an entrepreneur's relationships and business success。 I hope to encourage people to explore further their key relationship networks to build successful personal lives and business careers。
Thank you
Just as with the China Rich List； this book is not one person's work。 There have been many people involved in the production of this book and the rest of the series。 I would especially like to thank the top…notch journalists； who interviewed the entrepreneurs on our behalf； including Yuan Hongming； Zheng Zuoshi； Guo Huailiang； Zhang Guozheng； Liu Li； Chen Bing； Huang Na； Su Xiaohe； Xie Dan； Xue Weizhong； Yu Yong； Yuan Weidong and Zhan Zhengkai。 There was also much behind…the…scenes work by Lily Chen Bing； Linda Cen Liying and James Ding Jian。 This book would not have been possible without these people。
Finally； I would like to thank my wife； who has supported me in this project； despite us only getting married in August last year。
曹德旺：我曾遇到另一个不同的女…
我现在的老婆就是结发夫妻，她没有读过书，叫陈凤英，人很好，几十年来，煮饭，帮我管小孩，连电话都不接，她觉得自己普通话讲不好，所以不接，怕人家会笑她，她穿的衣服鞋子都是我帮她买的，家里的东西也都是我买的，她不会买东西。但是，我这个家现在所有财产都记在她的名下，我的控股公司也是她在当董事长，都是她的，不是我的，人家说这个公司是曹德旺的，但实际上从法律关系上说是我太太的。我为什么要做这样的安排呢？这是因为在我还没有富起来的时候，我曾经对婚姻徘徊过。
我今年57岁了，从23岁结婚算到现在，也过了几十年，俗话说“百年修得同船渡，千年修得共枕席”，意思就是说要彼此珍惜，不要轻易去改变。这里面的道理也是我后来慢慢悟到的。
我的老婆嫁给我的时候，还是一个少女，我们的结合完全是父母之命，媒妁之言。结婚前两个人连面都没有见过，仅仅看过一张很小的黑白照片，所以我们没有经历过谈恋爱的过程。那一年是1969年，我们非常穷，生活很苦，母亲又生病了，所以家里人就希望我先结婚，找个老婆照顾我母亲。我答应了，就是这样。
我们刚一结婚，我就把她的嫁妆全部卖掉了。她一句怨言也没有，她认为嫁给你了，你就说了算。我们30几年的婚姻生活，她一直是这样的，再苦再难也不会抱怨。她有1/4的马来血统，非常纯朴。新婚，嫁妆卖光，钱全给我拿去做本钱，她在家里伺候我生病的母亲，我在外面跑生意，一年到头两个人在一起的时间很少，这就是我们的“新婚燕尔”，谈不上浪漫，“贫贱夫妻百事哀”，有些事情经历了才知道里面的甘苦，所以说我们是患难夫妻。
我卖掉她的嫁妆之后就有了一点钱，这些钱就是我做生意最初的本钱。然后我就开始种白木耳，再拿到江西去卖，来回一趟可以赚七、八百元钱。这样跑来跑去，没有想到，才跑到第四趟，货就被人家扣了，不但本钱赔了进去，还欠了村里人1000多元，这要是别的女人又会怎样哭闹？
当时很多人来向我要债，家里能卖的东西全都卖掉了，最后只剩下一小间房子，我对那些上门要债的人说：“你们要是能够拿，也拿去。”
这个时候生产队上又来人找我，他们说我跑去做生意，欠了做水库的义务工，大概20几个工日，如果不去做，要按照一个工一天三块五交钱，我一算又是100多块钱了。我想我在家里也没有事做，去做一个工一天还能赚到三块五，还不如去做工。结果没有想到，原来整个生产队都没人愿意去做，这样就我一个人去做，等于是我去替别人出工，做了工以后按照一天三块五的价钱卖给他们。
工地很远，我走之前，送我老婆去她的娘家。她一个女人带一个孩子，丈夫又不在身边，家里一贫如洗。所以我就对她说：“我现在一无所有，只余下一个人，如果实在不行，你可以再嫁人。”我丈母娘说：“你胡说八道，你这么聪明，困难一定会渡过的，你放心回去吧，你老婆孩子我给你带着。”
我和我老婆就是这样的感情，平平淡淡，无论你好无论你坏，她都相信你，她从来不跟我吵架。在我年轻的时候，我曾经遇到过另一个不同的女人，那是一个让我想把家都扔掉的女人。那是70年代末80年代初，我在明溪遇到的。当时我写信给我的太太，她不认识字，所以信是我妹妹读给她听的。后来等我回到家，她见了我也只是说：“我知道我配不上你，知道你是会走掉的，你要是真走了，那么把房子和三个孩子留下来给我。”我听了以后非常伤心，我觉得自己非常对不起我的太太。
我那个时候非常痛苦，当时我们的生活已经有了很大好转，不像刚结婚时那样拮据。不过，虽然我做推销赚到一些钱，但只是一个富裕起来的农民而已，还没有像现在这样有能被称得上是事业的企业。就在那个时候，我爱上了一个女人，她是我的女朋友，那是真正的相爱。她为了帮助我，给我做了很多事情，当时她很年轻，大约二十四、五岁，已经结婚，有两个孩子，我们都很投入，彼此觉得找到了一生的知音。可是，那是什么年代啊？80年代初，尤其是在福清这样的地方，她的压力有多大是可想而知的。可是她很勇敢，我和她的事情被她的一些好姐妹知道了，那些姐妹就劝她，说：“你怎么这样，什么人不好找，找一个农民，瘦瘦的，黑黑的。”她就跟那些姐妹说：“我们谈得来，我相信他是一个非凡的人，他将来一定会有成就，会�