The sharp rebound in Chinese stocks has seen the total fortune of the nation's ultra-wealthy balloon by 141 billion dollars, Forbes magazine said Thursday as it released its annual China rich list.

The net worth of the country's 400 richest people rose to a record 314 billion dollars in the year to November from 173 billion dollars a year ago, Forbes said in a report on its website.

The list consists of a record 79 dollar billionaires, as opposed to just 24 last year, after the Hong Kong and Shanghai bourses soared 56 percent and 69 percent respectively, the magazine said.

"The gains in their personal fortunes were a sharp reversal to the losses sustained by billionaires in other parts of the world, (and) reflected the rise of China," Forbes senior editor Russell Flannery said in a statement.

BYD car battery tycoon Wang Chuanfu came out on top with a fortune of 5.8 billion dollars. Wang also topped the recently released Hurun Rich List.

The rankings illustrate how fortunes have recovered from last year when China's super-wealthy were hit hard by the global credit crunch and financial crisis.

Last year's number one, Liu Yongxing, slipped to second spot despite increasing his fortune to 5.5 billion dollars -- up 2.5 billion dollars on 2008.

Liu made his money through privately held agricultural company East Hope and stakes in China Minsheng Bank, Minsheng Insurance and Bright Dairy.

Yang Huiyan, the wealthiest woman on the list, is fifth on the list after seeing her fortune increase by 75 percent to 3.9 billion dollars -- but she is still well below her 2007 net worth of 16.2 billion dollars.

The 28-year-old's fortune was tied up in Guangdong developer Country Gardens, run by her father Yeung Kwok Keung, who transferred shares to her, Forbes said.

The highest ranking newcomer to the list was Liu Zhongtian, in eighth spot, whose aluminium products maker China Zhongwang raised 1.3 billion dollars in an initial public offering in April.