China's richest man 'doubled fortune in 12 months'

China's richest man saw his fortune balloon by nearly $17 billion -- a sum larger than the GDP of Iceland -- in the past year, business magazine Forbes said Monday. 

Wang Jianlin, founder of real estate and entertainment conglomerate Wanda Group, saw his wealth rocket from $13.2 billion to $30 billion in the publisher's 2015 China Rich List.

The windfall, which came despite sluggish growth in the world's second-largest economy, was driven by the flotations of two of his company's subsidiaries -- even though he lost $3.6 billion in a single day during China's market turmoil this summer.

"It’s good to have money," Wang said in a brief appearance at the announcement of the ranking.

At his average rate of accumulation last year he would have become more than $200,000 wealthier during his seven minutes on the stage. 

The son of a Red Army captain, Wang was himself a soldier before he founded Wanda in the 1980s, building it up with military discipline. Its website says it is Asia's largest private property owner.

Now 61, he is the 15th richest man on the planet according to Forbes' real-time billionaires ranking.

"To unabashedly go out and make money, then fairly and equitably distribute that wealth -– this is what rich people should do," Wang said. 

Wang has sought to play down overseas media speculation on the link between his success and government ties, which in China can be crucial to seal land deals with local authorities.

He said Monday that market forces and creative abilities were crucial to building major businesses in China, rather than personal connections.

"If you've made money, it's definitely because you have skills; I believe that the majority of people who've made money did so through normal channels," he said. "The majority of people with money, especially extraordinarily rich people, are good people."