Richard Liu Qiangdong

Liu grew up in a poor rural family in Suqian, Jiangsu Province, studied sociology at Renmin University of China in Beijing, graduating in 1996, and taught himself programming while a student. He later earned an EMBA from China Europe International Business School.

Richard Liu Qiangdong founded JD.com in Beijing in June 1998 as Jingdong, a small counter in the Zhongguancun electronics market selling magneto-optical drives. He built a reputation for genuine products in a market known for fakes. When the 2003 SARS outbreak emptied the market, he began selling online and in 2004 launched a dedicated website. From 2007 he chose to build JD's own warehouses and delivery network, a costly bet that became the core of JD Logistics. He led JD to its 2014 NASDAQ listing, stepped down as CEO in 2022 and remains Chairman, controlling a majority of voting power through high-vote Class B shares. Richard Liu Qiangdong was born in 1973.