In Profile: The Chinese Shipping Magnate Who Unlocked Simandou

On Jan. 21, the bulk carrier Winning Youth docked at Rizhao Port in China’s Shandong province, completing an 11,000-nautical-mile voyage from the coast of West Africa. Its arrival marked a historic milestone: the delivery of the first 200,000-ton shipment of iron ore from Guinea’s Simandou mine. 

For the owner of the vessel, Sun Xiushun, the journey represents the culmination of a high-stakes adventure that has spanned continents and defied conventional industry wisdom.