Ding Lei (Chinese: 丁磊; pinyin: Dīng Lěi; born October 1, 1971; also known as William Ding) is a Chinese billionaire businessman, and the founder and CEO of NetEase.
Ding Lei | |
|---|---|
| 丁磊 | |
| Born | Ding Lei 1 October 1971 |
| Other names | William Ding |
| Education | University of Electronic Science and Technology of China |
| Occupation(s) | Founder and CEO of NetEase |
| Spouse |
Wang Xunfang (m. 2006) |
| Children | 3 |
He made significant contributions to the development of computer networks in mainland China. In late 2016, he was looking into investing in the property sector, and travelled to Zimbabwe in December and to the United Kingdom.[1][2] As of April 2021, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimated Ding's fortune to be $35.8 billion.[3]
Early life
editDing was born in Fenghua, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. He graduated from the Chengdu Institute of Radio Engineering (now the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China) and obtained a bachelor's degree in telecommunications engineering.
Career
editAfter graduation, Ding worked as an engineer in a local state department in Ningbo, and worked for Sybase in Guangzhou. He founded NetEase and became the richest individual on the Chinese mainland in 2003 (7.6 billion yuan), becoming the country's first internet and gaming billionaire. According to the Hurun Report 2013, his net worth is estimated to be $5.2 billion.[2][4]
In 2012, it was confirmed that Ding branched NetEase's activities out into pork production.[5] The pig farm is centered around technology and environmental sustainability, and is not meant to become a major arm of the company.[6]
In May 2017, venture capital firm Sinovation Ventures, US-based Meituan-Dianping, and Alibaba competitor JD invested a total of US$23 million into the farm.[6]
In June 2020, Ding purchased a 16,000-square-foot mansion for US$29 million in Bel Air, Los Angeles, from Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Chinese billonaire expected in Byo". The Chronicle. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ a b "鮭非為源". Hurun.net. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ "Bloomberg Billionaires Index: William Ding". Bloomberg. 3 July 2021.
- ^ "William Lei Ding". Forbes. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ "Netease Expanding into the Pork Business…Wait, What?". Tech in Asia. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- ^ a b "In China, a pig farm just got tens of millions of bucks in VC funding". Tech in Asia.
- ^ "One down, six to go: Elon Musk sells Bel Air mansion for $29M". The Real Deal Los Angeles. 19 June 2020.