Liu Qiangdong
Richard Liu Qiangdong is one of China’s most influential internet entrepreneurs who founded JD.com, China’s largest e-commerce platform. Liu, 48, possesses the moxie, flexibility, and adaptability needed to thrive in a constantly changing retail atmosphere, and has used the skill to drive his company to greatness. His self-made success story influences many upcoming entrepreneurs on the necessary tenacity, drive, and motivation needed to turn dreams into start-ups.
With a net worth of US$12 billion in 2018, Liu Qiangdong is considered among the richest people in China. He started JD.com as a humble single-retail electronics stall in 1998 and expanded it into an e-commerce company from selling consumer electronics to less specialized items. In 2014, JD.com had reached the pinnacle of becoming an e-commerce giant by witnessing an extreme growth, loyal customer base expansion, and reaching a global scale. Today, the company has over 300 million active users and a delivery scope that reaches a population of over 1 billion people. In 2018, the company’s net revenue was $67 billion with Liu holding a 15.8 per cent stake in JD.com.
As a young man, Liu had an interest in politics. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from Renmin University, an elite research university in China. At the same time, Liu spent his spare time learning computer programming skills before obtaining an executive master of business administration. Following graduation, Liu began working for a health product company where he held several roles, including director of computers and logistics provider before starting his own business in 1998. He later revamped this chain of small stores into an online site now named JD.com to meet the changing landscape of retail.
Throughout his meaningful employment, Liu gained various skills, competencies, and insights into the realm of businesses and e-commerce that raised his interest in entrepreneurship. He used these skills to transform the company into giant internet retail that made the Fortune 500 list as a global leader in high tech, robotics, and AI solutions. Throughout his reign as CEO, Liu has focused more on developing seamless user experience and providing a vast array of products.