DeepSeek founder debuts on Hurun Global Rich List above OpenAI counterpart

Liang Wenfeng, founder of Chinese artificial intelligence phenomenon DeepSeek, made his debut on the Hurun Global Rich List with a fortune of 33 billion yuan (HK$35.36 billion).

DeepSeek made headlines when it stunned the tech industry and Wall Street with the launch of a new AI model it claimed to have developed for a small fraction of what its peers are spending. The Chinese startup, mostly staffed by young researchers, sparked an AI stock selloff in January.

A number of Chinese tech companies, including Alibaba (9988) and Tencent, have since raced to adopt DeepSeek’s latest AI models in a bid to capitalize on the AI boom.

Liang's entry is nearly thrice more than the 13 billion yuan attributed to OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, who is also a newcomer on the list.

The ranking also saw Zhang Yiming, founder of TikTok owner ByteDance, become China’s richest person, overtaking bottled water tycoon Zhong Shanshan, founder of Nongfu Spring (9633).

Zhang’s fortune surged 76 percent over the past year, reaching 435 billion yuan, thanks to the growing valuation of ByteDance, driven by its AI business.

Tencent’s (0700) co-founder Pony Ma Huateng secured a spot among China’s top three richest individuals with 320 billion yuan.

Globally, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk reclaimed the title of the world’s richest person for the fourth time in five years, with a fortune of 3.07 trillion yuan.

The number of billionaires worldwide has hit a record high of 3,442, with 163 new entrants this year.

The United States remains home to the most with 870 billionaires, an increase of 70 from the previous year, while China ranks second with 823, adding 9 more.

Among the fastest-growing fortunes, Lei Jun, founder of Xiaomi (1810), saw his wealth more than double to 220 billion yuan, earning him a place in China’s top ten for the first time.

He also surpassed Hong Kong’s Li Ka-shing and his son Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, who hold a combined fortune of 210 billion yuan.

US President Donald Trump also saw a significant rise in wealth to 52.5 billion yuan, making him the richest US president in history.

The financial services industry remains the dominant source of billionaire wealth, with one in ten of the listed entrepreneurs operating in this sector, followed by consumer goods and healthcare.

CICI CAO