Liang Wenfeng: Revolution That’s Shaking Silicon Valley
👨💻StartupTalkers![Liang Wenfeng: Revolution That’s Shaking Silicon Valley](https://static.startuptalky.com/2025/01/Liang-Wenfeng-Success-Story-StartupTalky-1.jpg)
The world of technology has been rocked in the past 48 hours. The value of US tech stocks has fallen by $1 trillion, the US is no longer the undisputed leader in AI, and India has realised that it’s not even in the race for AI supremacy. The cause of this upheaval? DeepSeek is a small AI research lab in China that’s making waves.
Liang, who started as a curious student tinkering with algorithms, has become a visionary entrepreneur competing with Silicon Valley giants like OpenAI in less than a decade. Through his company, DeepSeek, Liang has shown that AI doesn’t need to be about massive resources but about strategic vision, efficiency, and innovation. Liang has gone from leading the charge in quantitative finance to launching the disruptive R1 AI model that rocked global benchmarks, making him the 'Sam Altman of China'.
In this article, we look at the story of Liang Wenfeng, the man who is rewriting the future of artificial intelligence, challenging the hegemony of Western tech giants, and showing that the next big leap in AI innovation can happen anywhere.
Liang Wenfeng Biography
Full Name | Liang Wenfeng |
---|---|
Date of Birth | 1985 |
Birthplace | Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China |
Education | Zhejiang University (BEng, MEng) |
Profession | Founder and CEO of DeepSeek |
Known For | Co-founder of High-Flyer Founder and CEO of DeepSeek |
Thesis | Research on target tracking algorithm based on low-cost PTZ camera (2010) |
Spouse | Zhang Mei |
Children | 2 Children |
Networth | $3.2 billion |
Liang Wenfeng - Early Life
Liang Wenfeng - Career
Liang Wenfeng - DeepSeek AI
Liang Wenfeng - Personal Life
Liang Wenfeng - Interesting Facts
Liang Wenfeng - Early Life
Liang Wenfeng was born in 1985 to an education-focused family in Zhanjiang, Guangdong. His formative years were shaped by his father, a school teacher who stressed the importance of learning. Liang grew up in a modest environment, thus developing a natural curiosity and a strong interest in finding solutions at a young age.
Liang was an excellent student in school, especially in subjects such as mathematics and science. He used what he had, even if it was limited access to advanced technological resources in his hometown. Sometimes, he would dive into books and projects that stretched his understanding. He had a drive to learn and grow, and his teachers saw his potential early on and pushed him to go for his dreams.
Liang’s passion for knowledge was nurtured from these humble beginnings, which also laid the foundation for his later success in the field of artificial intelligence.
Liang Wenfeng - Career
After earning his Master’s degree in information and communication engineering from Zhejiang University in 2010, Liang started to explore the intersection of technology and finance. When he and his classmates embarked on collecting financial market data and testing quantitative trading strategies with machine learning during the 2007–2008 financial crisis, his early experimentation paved the way for his future breakthroughs.
After graduating, Liang moved to Chengdu, where he lived in a modest flat and tirelessly explored different applications of AI. But Liang’s resolve was strong, and many of his first ventures failed. His eureka moment came when he realized that applying AI to quantitative finance, an emerging field combining his engineering background with his desire to solve complex problems, was a real opportunity.
In 2013, Liang co-founded Hangzhou Yakebi Investment Management Co., Ltd. with fellow Zhejiang University alumnus Xu Jin. Liang’s first venture into finance was integrating AI with quantitative trading. Based on this success, he co-founded Zhejiang Jiuzhang Asset Management Co., Ltd. (formerly Hangzhou Huanfang Technology Co., Ltd.) in 2015 and quickly became a leader in China’s financial sector.
High-Flyer
In 2016, Liang formed Ningbo High Flyer Quantitative Investment Management Partnership with two classmates. Powered by advanced mathematics and AI, High-Flyer quickly established itself as a leader in the crowded world of finance. Using an innovative approach, the firm grew to an impressive 10 billion yuan in assets in 2019.
High-Flyer wasn’t just about profits; Liang’s vision went further. In a keynote speech at the 2019 Golden Bull Awards ceremony, he said that quantitative trading is essentially about using algorithms and data-driven methods instead of human portfolio managers. Liang described High-Flyer’s mission as improving China’s secondary markets, an area in which he was more interested in improving finance efficiency.
Founding DeepSeek
![](https://static.startuptalky.com/2025/01/Deepseek-StartupTalky.jpg)
Liang’s curiosity and ambition took him to new horizons even as High-Flyer thrived. In 2021, he started buying thousands of Nvidia GPUs, sparking speculation about what he was up to. This seemed too many to be the eccentric hobby of a successful entrepreneur. However, Liang had a grander vision: to create transformative AI models.
In 2019, Liang founded High-Flyer AI, a venture to research AI algorithms and their practical applications. He took this vision one step further in 2023 when he founded DeepSeek, a company focused on artificial general intelligence (AGI). DeepSeek first struggled to find external capital, as its long-term goals did not fit the short-term focus of many venture capital firms, until it was funded by High-Flyer.
However, DeepSeek quickly gained momentum. In December 2024, the company’s V3 model ran on 2,000 Nvidia H800 chips at a cost of less than $6 million, a remarkable efficiency compared to industry standards. DeepSeek’s success put it in the running as a serious player in the global AI landscape.
DeepSeek cemented its reputation further in January 2025 when it launched its R1 model, which shocked Silicon Valley. Liang’s decision to focus on long-term innovation over short-term profitability was a game-changing strategy.
Leadership and Vision
Liang’s companies are not the only things he’s influencing. He was invited to a high-profile symposium in January 2025 hosted by Premier Li Qiang to give insights and suggestions on the 2024 government work report. Liang, recognized as an industry expert, emphasized the need to help build confidence and knowledge in China’s innovation ecosystem. He stressed that China must transition from being a technology consumer to a global contributor.
According to Liang, his leadership philosophy is based on collaboration and inclusivity. For example, DeepSeek primarily hires locally educated talent, and they look for passion and ability, not credentials. Liang also believes that open-source approaches are the best way to go in disruptive technologies, saying that closed systems are only good for a short period of time.
Liang Wenfeng - DeepSeek AI
Under Liang Wenfeng's visionary leadership, DeepSeek is at the forefront of AI innovation, with large models and the audacious aim of AGI.
In a 2024 interview, Liang emphasized that DeepSeek’s core principle is balance: "We keep our margins so modest that we don't lose or make too much."
DeepSeek differs from many other companies in the industry because it is committed to being open-source. Liang also pointed out that the company's collaborative ethos means that 'establishing a robust technology ecosystem matters more than going closed source.'
Liang is determined to change China's AI landscape, even though the industry has a history of playing catch-up with the US.
Liang Wenfeng - Personal Life
While his groundbreaking achievements in AI are certainly not the only factor contributing to Liang Wenfeng’s journey to success, his deep sense of family and unwavering values are also major factors. Liang is one of China’s most influential entrepreneurs and, as of 2025, has a net worth of $3.2 billion. He is wealthy, yet he’s incredibly humble, always giving credit to the people who support him and encourage him to succeed.
Liang is a dedicated family man, and his wife, Zhang Mei, has been a key part of his journey. They’ve created a life together based on humility, perseverance and mutual respect. They have been married for over a decade, and their relationship reflects the values they hold, balancing personal and professional life. The couple have two children, and Liang frequently talks about the importance of teaching the values of hard work and determination to them.
Liang Wenfeng - Interesting Facts
- Liang’s foray into AI started in 2008 when he and his classmates tested out combining artificial intelligence with finance during the global financial crisis.
- Born into a modest household in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, Liang's father was a primary school teacher. This upbringing was discipline and a passion for knowledge.
- He received a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Information Engineering from Zhejiang University and a Master’s in Information and Communication Engineering. His thesis was on cost-effective target-tracking algorithms.
- Liang successfully integrated AI into quantitative trading in 2013, which was a precursor to his future success in finance and technology.
- By 2019, Liang had transformed Ningbo High-Flyer into an AI-driven quantitative trading leader and managed more than 10 billion yuan.
- Before the US imposed restrictions on AI chips, Liang bought 10,000 Nvidia A100 GPUs for his company DeepSeek, putting it ahead of the pack.
- Liang founded DeepSeek in 2023 to advance artificial general intelligence, and it’s a game changer in China’s AI landscape.
- Liang believes in hiring passionate and talented people rather than experienced people, innovating, and having a long-term vision rather than short-term profit.
- He believes in open innovation and that disruptive technologies should not be closed source.
- The launch of DeepSeek V2 and other cutting-edge projects, such as the AI price war, proved DeepSeek's disruptive potential.
- At the 2019 Golden Bull Awards, Liang spoke about the superiority of AI-driven decision-making over human biases in finance.
- Liang’s early business ventures were not easy, but his perseverance brought him to amazing success, illustrating his determination and will to succeed.
- Liang pioneered bringing AI into financial markets and how quantitative trading operates globally.
FAQs
Who is Liang Wenfeng?
Liang Wenfeng is the founder and CEO of DeepSeek.
What is Deepseek?
DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence company focused on developing open-source large language models (LLMs).
What is Liang Wenfeng networth?
Lian Wenfeng's net worth as of January 2025 is $3.2 billion.
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