Wang Chuanfu

In this Chinese name, the family name is Wang.

Wang Chuanfu
王传福
Wang in 2023
Born	(1966-04-08) 8 April 1966 (age 58) Wuwei County, Anhui, China
Education	Central South University (BS) Beijing Non-Ferrous Research Institute (MS)
Occupation(s)	Chemist, businessman
Known for	Founder and CEO of BYD Company
Political party	Chinese Communist Party
Spouse	Married

Wang Chuanfu (Chinese: 王传福; born 8 April 1966) is a Chinese chemist, billionaire entrepreneur, and the founder, chairman and CEO of the BYD Company.

Early life

Wang was born in Wuwei County, Anhui province to a family of poor farmers. While in high school he was cared for by his elder brother and sister because both of his parents had died.[1]

After high school, he studied metallurgical physical chemistry at the then Central South Industrial University (nowadays the Central South University) and graduated in 1987.[2] He went on to earn a master's degree in 1990 from the Beijing Non-Ferrous Metal General Research Institute (now GRINM Group).[3]

Career

He spent several years as a government-sponsored researcher, but in 1995 he entered the private sector and founded his own company, BYD Company, outside of Shenzhen.[3] Founded with his cousin Lu Xiangyang when he was 29 years old, BYD Company is currently the world's largest mobile phone batteries manufacturer.[4] In early 2009, he was reportedly worth US$3.4 billion, placing him 408th on Hurun Report's Global Rich List 2014.[5] In late 2009, his net worth grew to $5.1 billion and was crowned China's richest man on the Hurun Report. This was due largely to a five-fold increase in his company's value after Berkshire Hathaway bought 225 million new shares of BYD in 2008.[6]

In November 2021, Forbes reported that Wang's wealth had increased to $23.5 billion, making him the 14th richest person in China, this was due to a two-fold increase in BYD's share price over the previous year.[7]

Politics

Wang is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.[8][9][10]

Personal life

Wang is married and lives in Shenzhen.[11]

References

1. Gunther, Marc (13 April 2009). "Warren Buffett takes charge". Fortune After. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
2. "中国首富王传福长沙4年笑与泪 毕业于中南大学-中南大学新闻网门户网站". 中南大学新闻网门户网站 (in Chinese). Retrieved 6 May 2024.
3. "The Stars of Asia: Wang Chuanfu". BusinessWeek. 9 June 2003. Archived from the original on 19 June 2003. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
4. "Wang Chuanfu: Building electric dreams in China". CNN. 29 September 2009. Archived from the original on 28 August 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
5. "Wang Chuanfu". Hurun. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
6. "BYD's Wang Chuanfu Tops China Rich List After Buffett Backing". Bloomberg. 29 September 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
7. Flannery, Russell. "Stock, Sales Surge Lifts Wealth Of China EV Maker BYD's CEO". Forbes. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
8. He, Laura (17 July 2020). "A US travel ban would bar China's top billionaire entrepreneurs from America". CNN. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
9. Xia, Jun; Yao, Fiona Kun; Yin, Xiaoli; Wang, Xinran; Lin, Zhouyu (27 December 2023). "How Do Political and Nonpolitical Ties Affect Corporate Regulatory Participation? A Regulatory Capture Perspective". Business & Society. doi:10.1177/00076503231219687. ISSN 0007-6503.
10. Brendan, Scott (7 March 2017). "The Pomp and Politics of China's Annual Congress". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
11. "Forbes profile: Wang Chuanfu". Forbes. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2021.