Could Deepseek’s Founder Become China’s Richest Person?

Speculation is mounting that Liang Wenfeng, the visionary founder of Deepseek, could surpass NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang to become China’s wealthiest individual. A recent report suggested that Liang’s fortune might exceed Huang’s estimated net worth of $114 billion, positioning him among the top tech magnates in Asia.

The report, published on the 12th, surveyed seven startup founders and AI experts, who estimated Deepseek’s valuation to range from $1 billion to as high as $150 billion. Chanakya Ramdev, founder of Canadian telecom company Sweetfree Telecom, valued Deepseek at the upper end, placing it at half the valuation of OpenAI ($300 billion). Based on this assessment and Liang Wenfeng’s 84% stake in the company, his estimated wealth could reach approximately $126 billion.

Liang is known to directly hold a 1% stake in Deepseek’s parent company, Hangzhou Deep Exploration AI Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd., while indirectly controlling 84% through joint ventures and holding companies. If Deepseek’s valuation proves accurate, his fortune would indeed surpass Huang’s.

However, not all estimates are as high. Rudina Seseri, founder of venture capital firm Glasswing Ventures, valued Deepseek at a more conservative $1 billion, comparing it to industry competitors such as OpenAI and Anthropic. Meanwhile, Philip Schmid, a senior AI engineer at Google DeepMind, placed its worth at over $6.2 billion.

Industry comparisons reveal the volatile nature of AI startup valuations. Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees and backed by Google and Amazon, has been valued at $60 billion, while Mistral, established by former Google and Meta researchers, is valued at $6 billion. Given the rapid shifts in AI economics, Deepseek’s worth could fluctuate significantly over time.

Despite being a relatively new player, Deepseek has already disrupted traditional assumptions about AI development costs in Silicon Valley. The company’s rise has fueled optimism among China’s major internet firms, sparking discussions of a potential “Chinese AI Renaissance.”

Meanwhile, Chinese media have noted the challenges in precisely evaluating Liang Wenfeng’s net worth. Unlike most AI startups, Deepseek operates without external funding, relying instead on the profits of High-Flyer, the quantitative hedge fund Liang founded in 2015. Between 2016 and 2019, High-Flyer expanded its assets under management (AUM) tenfold, solidifying its status as one of China’s leading quant hedge funds. Currently, the firm manages assets worth $8 billion.

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