DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng has become the world’s richest founder of an artificial intelligence model company. Bloomberg Billionaires Index released the updated ranking on Tuesday.
According to Bloomberg, Liang’s estimated net worth has risen to around $36 billion. Previously, his fortune stood at approximately $16.7 billion.
The increase followed a revaluation of his DeepSeek stake after the company’s latest funding round. As a result, Liang now ranks ahead of several prominent AI company founders.
Funding Boosts DeepSeek Valuation
Bloomberg’s ranking focuses only on founders of artificial intelligence model companies. Therefore, it excludes billionaires from broader technology, semiconductor and cloud computing businesses.
DeepSeek reportedly completed its first external funding round in June. The Hangzhou-based company raised about $7.4 billion, increasing its valuation to roughly $50 billion from around $10 billion in April.
Although Liang’s ownership declined after the investment, reports indicate he still controls approximately 78 percent of the company. That stake accounts for most of his estimated wealth.
Founder Retains Majority Control
According to reports, Liang personally invested around $3 billion in the funding round. The investment represented nearly 40 percent of the total capital raised.
The funds reportedly came from profits generated by High-Flyer, the quantitative hedge fund Liang co-founded in 2016. DeepSeek later spun out of High-Flyer in 2023.
Unlike several leading American AI companies, DeepSeek remained privately controlled until this year. Even after the latest investment, Liang continues to hold a dominant ownership stake, giving him greater control than many founders of similarly valued AI firms.
