Liang Yuanpeng, founder and CEO of the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek, has seen his net worth more than double following a recent funding round, making him the richest founder among global AI model developers.
According to Bloomberg on July 13, Liang's net worth has surged from approximately $16.7 billion (about 25 trillion won) to $36 billion (around 53 trillion won). This figure significantly surpasses that of Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei ($8 billion) and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman ($25.5 billion).
Bloomberg compared only the founders of companies primarily generating revenue from AI models, excluding big tech firms like Alibaba and Tencent, which operate in diverse sectors, as well as companies involved in the AI supply chain, such as data centers and semiconductor firms.
The majority of Liang's wealth comes from his stake in DeepSeek. The company's valuation skyrocketed from $10 billion in April to $50 billion after securing new investments last month. DeepSeek raised $7.4 billion in funding, with Liang personally contributing $3 billion. Following the funding round, he is estimated to retain about 78% of the company's shares.
His high ownership percentage is cited as a key reason for his wealth increase. In contrast to many U.S. AI companies, where equity is often diluted among big tech firms, venture capitalists, and co-founders during funding rounds, Liang has maintained most of his shares in DeepSeek, securing both his wealth and control over the company.
Liang was born in 1985 in Guangdong Province, China, and studied electronic engineering at Zhejiang University. He later spun off the AI division of his hedge fund, Zhejiang Highflyer Asset Management, to establish DeepSeek in 2023.
Highflyer had secured a large supply of advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) before the U.S. tightened export regulations, allowing DeepSeek to develop AI models with minimal reliance on venture capital.
DeepSeek gained attention last year by unveiling a model that matched the performance of U.S. competitors like OpenAI at a significantly lower cost. Recently, the company introduced its latest model, V4, emphasizing compatibility with Huawei's semiconductor technology.
Bloomberg noted that the symbol of wealth in China's tech industry is shifting from internet entrepreneurs like Jack Ma to state-supported AI founders. Liang has also been ranked eighth among China's wealthiest individuals.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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