DeepSeek Founder Becomes Richest AI Model Entrepreneur

DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng has become the world’s richest entrepreneur focused on artificial intelligence models after his company’s latest funding round more than doubled his fortune.

Liang’s net worth has risen to $36 billion, up from about $16.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The increase follows DeepSeek’s $7.4 billion funding round in June, which valued the Chinese AI startup at $50 billion.

The new ranking places Liang ahead of Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman among founders whose wealth comes primarily from AI model companies.

Bloomberg’s ranking excludes diversified technology companies such as Alibaba and Tencent, as well as businesses focused on AI infrastructure, including semiconductor makers and data-centre operators.

Most of Liang’s wealth comes from his stake in DeepSeek. Although the fundraising diluted his ownership from about 84% to roughly 78%, he remains the company’s controlling shareholder. He also invested about $3 billion in the funding round.

DeepSeek did not respond to requests for comment.

Liang founded DeepSeek in 2023 after spinning it out of the AI division of Zhejiang High-Flyer Asset Management, the hedge fund he co-founded with two former university classmates. Before launching the startup, High-Flyer used trading profits to acquire advanced graphics processors ahead of tighter U.S. export restrictions.

Those early investments gave DeepSeek the computing resources needed to develop advanced AI models without relying heavily on venture capital.

The company gained global attention in early 2025 after releasing an AI model that matched the performance of leading U.S. rivals at a significantly lower cost. More recently, DeepSeek introduced its V4 model and said it is compatible with chips developed by Huawei.

Liang’s large ownership stake sets him apart from many AI founders in the United States. Commonly, startups often give up significant equity to venture capital firms and strategic investors as they grow.

His wealth also reflects a broader shift in China’s technology sector. Consumer internet companies once produced the country’s richest tech entrepreneurs. Today, AI startups are attracting increasing support from both government-backed and private investors.

Liang now ranks as China’s eighth-richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He trails Chen Tianshi, the co-founder of AI chipmaker Cambricon, in the country’s overall technology wealth rankings.