Wang Chuanfu (born 8 April 1966) is a Chinese chemist, billionaire entrepreneur, and the founder, chairman and CEO of BYD Company.

Early life

Wang was born in Wuwei County, Anhui province to a family of poor farmers. While in high school he was cared for by his elder brother and sister because both of his parents had died. After high school, he studied metallurgical physical chemistry at the then Central South Industrial University (nowadays the Central South University) and graduated in 1987. He went on to earn a master's degree in 1990 from the Beijing Non-Ferrous Metal General Research Institute (now GRINM Group).

Career

He spent several years as a government-sponsored researcher, but in 1995 he entered the private sector and founded his own company, BYD Company, outside of Shenzhen. Founded with his cousin Lu Xiangyang when he was 29 years old, BYD Company is currently the world's largest mobile phone batteries manufacturer. In early 2009, he was reportedly worth US$3.4 billion, placing him 408th on Hurun Report's Global Rich List 2014. In late 2009, his net worth grew to $5.1 billion and was crowned China's richest man on the Hurun Report. This was due largely to a five-fold increase in his company's value after Berkshire Hathaway bought 225 million new shares of BYD in 2008. In November 2021, Forbes reported that Wang's wealth had increased to $23.5 billion, making him the 14th richest person in China, this was due to a two-fold increase in BYD's share price over the previous year.

Politics

Wang is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Personal life

Wang is married and lives in Shenzhen.