Colin Huang, the 44-year-old founder of Temu and serial entrepreneur, has ascended to the position of China’s richest man, overtaking Zhong Shanshan, the bottled-water magnate and founder of Nongfu Spring.
Zhong had held the title since April 2021, but Huang’s rapid rise reflects China’s evolving shopping habits and the growing influence of e-commerce.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, Huang now holds a net worth of $48.7 billion (€44.50 billion). His wealth largely comes from his 25% stake in Pinduoduo (PDD), a leading Chinese e-commerce platform that he founded. As of May 2022, Pinduoduo reported 751 million monthly active users, cementing its place as a dominant force in China’s online shopping landscape. Huang’s shares in the company are managed through two British Virgin Islands-based entities, Walnut Street Investment and Walnut Street Management, as highlighted in Pinduoduo’s 2023 annual report.
Huang’s journey with Pinduoduo has been marked by significant milestones. In July 2020, he announced a reduction in his shareholding and stepped down as CEO. In a letter published on Pinduoduo’s website, Huang revealed his philanthropic plans, including the donation of a 2.4% stake in Pinduoduo to an irrevocable charitable trust and the transfer of a 7.7% stake to the Pinduoduo Partnership to support scientific research. Additionally, he transferred a 2.7% stake to an early investor, further diversifying his contributions and focus.
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Colin Huang’s path to success is rooted in his strong academic background and early career achievements. Born and raised in Hangzhou, China, Huang excelled academically, attending the prestigious Hangzhou Foreign Language School at the age of 12. He later earned his degree from Zhejiang University before pursuing a master’s degree in computer science at the University of Wisconsin.
Huang began his professional journey at Google’s headquarters in 2004 as a software engineer and project manager. In 2006, he returned to China, playing a crucial role in establishing Google China. By 2007, Huang had founded Ouku.com, an e-commerce platform focused on consumer electronics, which he sold in 2010. He later launched Leqi, a marketing platform for major Chinese e-commerce sites, and explored the gaming industry with role-playing games on WeChat.
In 2013, health concerns led Huang to temporarily retire, during which he conceived the idea for Pinduoduo, drawing inspiration from Alibaba and Tencent. With $8 million in initial funding, Huang launched PDD in 2015, emphasizing collaborative group buying. By 2016, PDD had raised $100 million, fueling its rapid growth. The company went public in the U.S. in 2018, marking another major milestone in Huang’s entrepreneurial journey.
Huang stepped down as CEO in 2020 and later resigned as chairman in 2021 to focus on research in food and life sciences. His transition from tech mogul to China’s richest person highlights his significant impact on the e-commerce industry and his ongoing commitment to innovation and philanthropy.
