From Hedge Fund to AI Pioneer: The Journey of DeepSeek's Founder Liang Wenfeng

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Liang Wenfeng, the founder of the upstart Chinese AI company DeepSeek, began his career in the finance sector as a hedge fund entrepreneur. Born in 1985 in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China, Liang pursued his education in electronic information engineering and information and communication engineering at Zhejiang University, a prestigious institution in China.

After graduating, Liang moved to Chengdu, Sichuan, to explore various applications of AI across different fields. His breakthrough came in finance, where he co-founded the quantitative hedge fund firm Ningbo High-Flyer in 2016. This firm quickly gained recognition for its innovative use of AI-driven investment strategies, integrating machine learning models to predict market trends and make data-driven investment decisions.

In 2023, Liang founded DeepSeek, aiming to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI). The company was established with the sole financial backing of High-Flyer, allowing it to pursue ambitious AI projects without the pressures of external investors. This unique funding model enabled DeepSeek to focus on long-term research and development.

DeepSeek's AI models, particularly the DeepSeek-R1, have garnered significant attention for their advanced reasoning skills and cost-effectiveness, rivaling those of established U.S. companies like OpenAI. The company has also distinguished itself by open-sourcing its models, making key components freely accessible for researchers and developers.

Liang Wenfeng remains a low-profile figure, seldom appearing in public and granting interviews only to select media outlets. Despite his low profile, his work with DeepSeek has positioned him as a notable figure in the AI industry, drawing comparisons to other AI pioneers like OpenAI's Sam Altman.