Liang Wenfeng
Who is Liang Wenfeng?
Liang Wenfeng (Chinese: 梁文锋), is a Chinese entrepreneur, businessman, and the founder and CEO of the artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek. He is also the co-founder of the quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer. Liang is considered an expert in both AI and finance.
Quick Details
| Chinese name | 梁文锋 |
| Also known as | Liáng Wénfēng |
| Date of Birth | 1985 |
| Birthplace | Wuchuan, Guangdong, China |
| Current Residence | Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 39–40 |
| Height | 5′ 7” |
| Weight | 64 kilograms (approx) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eyes Color | Brown |
| Education | Zhejiang University (BEng, MEng) |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, Investor, and businessman |
| Known for | Zhejiang University (BEng, MEng) |
| Fields | Information engineering |
| Thesis | Research on target tracking algorithm based on low-cost PTZ camera (2010) |
| Academic advisors | Xiang Zhiyu (项志宇) |
Early Life & Education
Liang Wenfeng was born in 1985 in Mililing village (米历岭村), Tanba town (覃巴镇), Wuchuan city, Guangdong province, China. His parents were both primary school teachers.
He attended Zhejiang University, where he earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronic Information Engineering in 2007 and a Master of Engineering degree in Information and Communication Engineering in 2010. His master’s dissertation was titled “Research on target tracking algorithm based on low-cost PTZ camera” (基于低成本PTZ摄像机的目标跟踪算法研究), advised by Professor Xiang Zhiyu (项志宇).
Career
In 2008, Liang Wenfeng teamed up with his classmates to gather financial market data and explore quantitative trading using machine learning and other advanced technologies. This initiative took place during the height of the 2007–2008 financial crisis, a period of significant economic turmoil.
After graduating, Liang relocated to an affordable apartment in Chengdu, Sichuan, where he experimented with applying artificial intelligence (AI) to various industries. Despite several failed attempts, he eventually found success by focusing on AI applications in finance.
In 2013, Liang took a bold step by integrating AI with quantitative trading, co-founding Hangzhou Yakebi Investment Management Co Ltd with Xu Jin, a fellow alumnus of Zhejiang University. Two years later, they established Hangzhou Huanfang Technology Co Ltd, which later evolved into Zhejiang Jiuzhang Asset Management Co Ltd.
By February 2016, Liang, along with two engineering classmates, launched Ningbo High-Flyer Quantitative Investment Management Partnership. The firm relied heavily on mathematical models and AI to drive its investment strategies, marking a significant shift in how financial decisions were made.
In 2019, Liang founded High-Flyer AI, a company dedicated to researching AI algorithms and their foundational applications. By this time, High-Flyer had amassed over 10 billion yuan in assets under management, solidifying its position in the market.
On August 30, 2019, Liang delivered a keynote speech titled “The Future of Quantitative Investment in China from a Programmer’s Perspective” at the Golden Bull Awards ceremony. His speech sparked widespread debate as he argued that the essence of quantitative investment lies in decision-making driven by algorithms rather than human portfolio managers. He emphasized High-Flyer’s mission to enhance the efficiency of China’s secondary market.
In February 2021, Liang penned the preface for the Chinese edition of Gregory Zuckerman’s book, The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution. Liang revealed that he often drew inspiration from Simons’ belief that “there must be a way to model prices” when facing challenges. Zuckerman later acknowledged Liang’s influence in a Wall Street Journal article, noting that Liang, much like Simons, maintained a low profile and was difficult to reach.
During 2021, Liang began acquiring thousands of Nvidia GPUs for an AI side project while continuing to lead High-Flyer. Some industry insiders dismissed this as the eccentric hobby of a billionaire, but Liang’s vision was far more ambitious. Despite initial skepticism from his business partners, who described him as a “nerdy guy with a terrible hairstyle,” Liang remained steadfast in his belief that his project would be a game-changer, rivaling the innovations of tech giants like ByteDance and Alibaba.
In May 2023, Liang announced that High-Flyer would venture into the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI), launching DeepSeek. In an interview with 36Kr, Liang revealed that High-Flyer had secured 10,000 Nvidia A100 GPUs before U.S. restrictions on AI chip exports to China took effect. This strategic move positioned DeepSeek as a leading developer of large language models (LLMs), with funding provided by High-Flyer. Liang emphasized that DeepSeek prioritized hiring passionate and capable individuals over experienced professionals, as the company’s goals were long-term and required innovative thinking.
By July 2024, Liang reflected on DeepSeek’s journey in another 36Kr interview. He expressed surprise at the intense price war triggered by the release of DeepSeek-V2 in China, highlighting the sensitivity of pricing in the AI market. Liang also stressed the importance of China transitioning from a “freerider” to a contributor in global innovation, noting that the country’s primary challenge was not a lack of capital but a shortage of confidence and expertise in organizing talent. DeepSeek’s workforce, primarily composed of locally educated individuals, demonstrated that disruptive technologies could thrive without relying on closed-source approaches.
On January 20, 2025, Liang was invited to a high-profile symposium hosted by Premier Li Qiang in Beijing. As an industry expert, Liang provided insights and recommendations on the draft of the 2024 government work report, underscoring his influence in shaping China’s economic and technological policies.
That same day, DeepSeek unveiled DeepSeek-R1, a groundbreaking 671-billion-parameter open-source reasoning AI model. Accompanied by a detailed technical paper, the model was developed using just 2,048 Nvidia H800 GPUs at a cost of $5.6 million, showcasing DeepSeek’s resource-efficient approach. By January 27, DeepSeek had surpassed ChatGPT to become the #1 free app on the U.S. iOS App Store, causing a seismic shift in the market. The announcement sent U.S. stocks plummeting, erasing over $1 trillion in market capitalization as investors grappled with the implications of DeepSeek’s rapid rise.
What is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek (Chinese: 深度求索; pinyin: Shēndù Qiúsuǒ) is a Chinese artificial intelligence company specializing in open-source large language models (LLMs). Founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, who also serves as CEO, the company is based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and is backed by the Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer.
The company’s flagship model, DeepSeek-R1, delivers performance comparable to leading LLMs like OpenAI’s GPT-4o and o1. Notably, its training costs are significantly lower than industry counterparts, with DeepSeek reporting an expenditure of $6 million—far less than the estimated $100 million spent on OpenAI’s GPT-4 in 2023. Additionally, R1 is said to require only one-tenth of the computing power used for Meta’s LLaMA 3.1.
DeepSeek’s development comes amid U.S. sanctions restricting China’s access to advanced AI training chips. These measures aimed to limit the country’s AI advancements, though subsequent adjustments to the restrictions affected most nations except a select few.
Despite its rapid rise in the AI landscape, DeepSeek has faced scrutiny over its compliance with Chinese government censorship policies and its data collection practices. Concerns over privacy and information control have led to regulatory actions in multiple countries, with Australia banning its technology from government devices in February 2024.
As an open-source initiative, DeepSeek makes its algorithms, models, and training details publicly available for use and modification. However, reports indicate that it enforces content restrictions aligned with local regulations, limiting discussions on sensitive topics such as the Tiananmen Square massacre and Taiwan’s political status. The company actively recruits AI researchers from China’s top universities and hires professionals from diverse academic backgrounds beyond computer science to enhance its model’s knowledge and capabilities.
Liang Wenfeng Net worth
Forbes estimates that his net worth exceeded at least $1 billion as of January 2025.
Personal Life
While Liang Wenfeng’s professional achievements are well-documented, details about his personal life and relationships are not widely available in public sources. Information regarding his wife or family is currently not accessible.
