South China Morning Post
Advertisement
Advertisement
Jack Ma
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
TechTech leaders and founders

13 things you may not know about China’s tech billionaires

  • The number of billionaires in China keeps growing, especially in tech with Beijing as the world's billionaire capital since 2015.
Jack Ma
SCMP Reporters
SCMP Reporters
Why you can trust SCMP

1. How did Robin Li build China's largest search engine?

He worked for Disney on search and then met Eric Xu, a PhD who had good contacts in Silicon Valley. Learn more

2. Who is Jack Ma?

Jack Ma is the billionaire co-founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba and fintech company Ant Group. Learn more

3. What does Xiaomi founder, Lei Jun, spend his money on?

Cars and a science park. Learn more
Lei Jun only became ultra-rich after he came out of “retirement” at 38 to create Xiaomi. Photo: Bloomberg

4. Before founding Tencent in 1993, what did Pony Ma do for a living?

He developed software for pagers, remember those? Learn more

5. At what age did the founder of Foxconn Terry Gou retire?

When he was 69, Terry Gou announced he was stepping down as President, 45 years after founding the company. Learn more
Terry Gou at a Foxconn staff event in Taipei on February 2, 2019. (Picture: Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo

6. Which Shanghai-based exchange was Chen Wenyuan's company the first to list on?

Shanghai's STAR market with lower profitability standards to make it easier for tech companies. Learn more
Shanghai’s Star market turned Chen Wenyuan into an overnight billionaire. (Picture: CCTV)

7. What does billionaire Michael Deng's company do?

Arcsoft makes software to help phones take better photos and 360-degree panoramic shots. Learn more
Deng became one of China’s three newest billionaires when his company posted dramatic gains on the country’s new Nasdaq-style Star Market. (Picture: ArcSoft)

8. How did Cao Ji become a billionaire?

By founding a company that makes sure your batteries don't explode. Learn more
Cao Ji, chairman of Zhejiang Hangke Technology, became an overnight billionaire when his company listed on Shanghai’s Star Market, a Nasdaq-style tech bourse, on July 22, 2019. (Picture: Yicai)

9. How did Alex Zhu stumble upon the idea for TikTok's predecessor?

He saw teen listening to music, taking selfies and videos, and showing each other their screens. Learn more
Alex Zhu speaking at the #ProductSF conference in 2016. (Picture: Greylock Partners via YouTube)

10. How long did Richard Liu step away from JD after the 2018 rape allegations?

Two and half years. Learn more
Richard Liu, the founder and CEO of JD.com, attends a celebration ceremony in New York.

11. How old was the founder of DJI Wang Tao when he became a billionaire?

Wang Tao was 36 years old when he landed on Forbes magazine’s 100 Richest in Tech list. Learn more
DJI CEO and founder Frank Wang

12. Where did William Li grow up?

On a dairy farm in Anhui, one China's poorest provinces. Learn more
William Li Bin, CEO of Chinese electric vehicle start-up Nio, rings the bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) during the company’s initial public offering in September, 2018. Photo: Reuters

13. How many companies did Colin Huang create before Pinduoduo?

Colin Huang founded 3 companies before Pinduoduo, all in e-commerce or gaming. Learn more
Colin Huang, founder and CEO of Pinduoduo, speaks during the company's Nasdaq stock trading debut during an event in Shanghai. Photo: Reuters
Post