Liang Wenfeng, founder of Chinese AI company DeepSeek, saw his net worth rise from about $16.7 billion to $36 billion after a $7.4 billion funding round in June 2026, making him the world's richest creator of AI models [1, 2, 3].

DeepSeek completed the funding round in June 2026, which valued the company at roughly $50 billion, a fivefold increase from its reported $10 billion valuation in April 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Liang personally invested $3 billion in the round, retaining majority control with approximately a 78% stake, despite some dilution [1, 4, 2, 3].

Founded in mid-2023 in Hangzhou, DeepSeek traces its origins to Liang’s hedge fund, Zhejiang High-Flyer Asset Management [4, 3]. The company launched its first AI model in early 2025, achieving performance on par with U.S. rivals at significantly lower training costs [4, 3, 5].

Bloomberg's billionaire rankings specifically include founders from companies whose primary business and majority revenue come directly from AI models, excluding broader tech conglomerates or AI supply chain firms such as semiconductor or data center companies. It places Liang above other major AI founders like OpenAI president Greg Brockman, whose net worth is estimated at $25.5 billion, and Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei with roughly $8 billion [1, 2, 3]. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, with an estimated net worth of $3.4 billion, does not make Bloomberg’s top 500 richest list [1, 2].

DeepSeek employs a young research and development team, many of whom are recent graduates with only one to two years of experience, focusing heavily on technical innovation [6]. Liang, born in 1985 in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, graduated from Zhejiang University in electronic engineering and information technology [1, 4, 3].

Following the significant June 2026 funding round, DeepSeek is preparing for an initial public offering in Shanghai. The company aims to submit its IPO application before the end of 2026, with a possible listing in the second quarter of 2027 [6].

Liang Wenfeng has stated, "China also wants to gradually become a contributor, rather than always hitchhiking" [6].