Read about Liang Wenfeng, the Chinese entrepreneur behind DeepSeek, the AI App challenging ChatGPT:
Liang Wenfeng - Founder of DeepSeek
Liang was born in 1985 in Guangdong, China, to a modest family.
His father was a school teacher, and his values of discipline and education greatly influenced Liang.
Liang pursued his studies at Zhejiang University, earning a master’s degree in engineering in 2010.
His research focused on low-cost camera tracking algorithms, showcasing his early interest in practical AI applications.
In 2015, he co-founded High-Flyer, a quantitative hedge fund powered by AI-driven algorithms.
The fund grew rapidly, managing over $100 billion, but he was not content with just the financial success.
He envisioned using AI to solve larger, more impactful problems beyond the finance industry.
In 2023, Liang founded DeepSeek to create cutting-edge AI models for broader use.
Unlike many tech firms, DeepSeek prioritized research and open-source innovation over commercial apps.
Liang hired top PhDs from universities like Peking and Tsinghua, focusing on talent with passion and vision.
To address US chip export restrictions, Liang preemptively secured 10,000 Nvidia GPUs.
This strategic move ensured DeepSeek could compete with global leaders like OpenAI.
DeepSeek's AI models achieved high performance at a fraction of the cost of competitors.
Liang turned down a $10 billion acquisition offer, stating that DeepSeek’s goal was to advance AI, not just profit.
He advocates for originality in China’s tech industry, emphasizing innovation over imitation.
He argued that closed-source technologies only temporarily delay competitors and emphasized the importance of open innovation.
Liang credits his father’s dedication to education for inspiring his persistence and values.
He believes AI should serve humanity broadly, not just the wealthy or elite industries.