Rupert Hoogewerf believes if entrepreneurship is encouraged, it is very helpful for society and the country's development. Provided to China Daily

Reports have made a science of reporting on the lives of the country's fast-growing ranks of magnates

This year is a milestone for Chinese entrepreneurs going international, according to Rupert Hoogewerf, who has spent years tracking and ranking the wealthiest people in China.

Hoogewerf, whose Chinese name is Hu Run, is chairman and chief researcher of Hurun Report Inc. He says he feels strongly that 2015 is the beginning of a major push for Chinese entrepreneurs to go global, even though the trend has been building for some time.

"First, you've got an economic slowdown domestically, so in order to stay competitive, it is sometimes important to do an international strategic acquisition or investment," he says. "Next is the strength of the currency. You have very good opportunities and a strong currency to do internationalization."

Moreover, China's domestic market has become very competitive, so strategic investment mergers will have competitive advantages, he says. Although the stock market has been volatile, many companies' market value is double that of last year.

Responding to the trend, he also began a global CEO program and released the Hurun Global Chinese Rich List, which included overseas Chinese for the first time, earlier this year.

"We found there is huge demand from Chinese entrepreneurs going international," he says. He has recently returned from trips accompanying entrepreneurs to such places as San Francisco, India and London.

Born in Luxembourg, Hoogewerf made his name in China by ranking the nation's richest individuals in his Hu-run Report. In the 1990s, he saw that Chinese entrepreneurs, beneficiaries of China's rapid economic development, were quite unknown to the outside world.

In 1999, Hoogewerf, an accountant in Shanghai, spent months reading more than 100 magazines and company financial reports to develop the nation's first ranking of the rich. It was published by Forbes and attracted great attention worldwide. In 2002, he started his own companies, focusing on tracking the lives of the rich. He has met with thousands of entrepreneurs in the past 15 years.

Hurun Report Inc has become an organization of 150 people, and the company's revenue comes mainly from advertising and digital media, print media, conferences, training, business education and market research. It does about 20 reports and puts on 50 to 60 high-end events yearly.

"It is a misconception that all people are shy. A lot more people are more transparent than you might think. So on our list, we estimate about 20 percent were actively engaged with us. One in five will actually help us to work out their numbers," he says.

When dealing with Chinese entrepreneurs, two things are needed: trust and insights, he says.

"One thing that is unique about us is that we started early. We have been doing this for many years, and we focus very much on doing this," he says. "There's no money transaction between entrepreneurs and us."

The Hurun Report shows how people make their money and spend it; the company's Wings & Water reports look at how people live luxurious lifestyles and target people who have or desire to have 200 million yuan or more; the Hurun Schools Guide provides information for the overseas education of the children of the rich; and Horse & Polo China targets elite readers that are passionate about equestrianism.