(Reference Section)
The heyday of the Wu Family was when Wu Bingjian became the Family Head; at that time, he was the world's wealthiest person, his adopted son was the American railway magnate John Murray Forbes, and his business partner was America's richest man, Astor.
The Wu Family's investments in America included the railway, insurance, securities, and mining industries, and they were also the largest creditor of the East India Company.
The Wu Family's business initially involved tea trading between Guangzhou and the Fujian region, but it was not until the fifth generation, Wu Guoying (1731-1810), came into the picture that the family's reputation rose to prominence.
Wu Guoying had two older brothers who died young without leaving any descendants, hence Wu Guoying inherited all the family wealth.
