Cai Haoyu

Cai Haoyu
Born	(1987-07-29) July 29, 1987 Jinan, Shandong, China
Other names	Hugh Tsai
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, investor, video game producer
Years active	2010–present
Known for	Co-founder and CEO of miHoYo
Notable work	FlyMe2theMoon, HoYoverse

Cai Haoyu (; born July 29, 1987), also recognized as Hugh Tsai, is a prominent Chinese entrepreneur, investor, and video game producer. He is widely acknowledged as the co-founder and chief executive officer of the gaming company miHoYo. The Chinese publication New Fortune placed Cai at number 73 on its "2022 New Fortune 500 Rich List," highlighting him among China's wealthiest individuals.

Early life

Born in Jinan, Shandong in 1987, Cai was introduced to computers at a young age by his parents, Cai Zhili and Lu Zizhen, both computer science educators. This early exposure helped cultivate his technical skills starting from the age of five.

Cai's educational journey included Jinan Baliqiao Primary School, Jinan Foreign Language School, and Shandong Experimental High School. Between 1995 and 1998, he earned multiple accolades in national youth computing contests. At just 12 years old, he became part of the inaugural cohort of junior academicians at the Chinese Youth Academy of Sciences. In 2005, he enrolled at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where he completed both undergraduate and graduate studies in computer science.

Demonstrating entrepreneurial tendencies early on, Cai engaged in small-scale business activities such as purchasing and reselling cordless phones and vending watches during his high school years. By the time he reached university, he was actively involved in stock market investments, once achieving monthly speculative gains exceeding (roughly US$).

Career

During his time at SJTU, Cai shared a dormitory with Liu Wei and Luo Yuhao. United by their passion for the ACG culture—encompassing animation, comics, and games—they collaborated on developing ACG-themed video games, including their senior project. In 2010, Cai initiated development on his first game, FlyMe2theMoon, which secured an angel investment of 1 million RMB two years later. Subsequently, he took on the role of production director for Houkai Gakuen.

Supported by a grant from the Shanghai Technology Innovation Center's Eagle Program, Cai and his roommates established miHoYo in January 2011 within their university dormitory while still pursuing graduate studies. Originally founded as a literary open-source community, miHoYo experienced rapid growth; by 2021, it reported revenues exceeding ¥10 billion (US$1.4 billion). As chairman, Cai is recognized for his sharp business acumen and detailed management approach.

On February 14, 2022, miHoYo unveiled the brand HoYoverse to expand into markets beyond Greater China, appointing Cai as its CEO.

In May 2022, Cai appeared on the "2022 New Fortune 500 Rich List" ranking 73rd with an estimated net worth of ¥56 billion (US$8.7 billion). He was the sole representative from China's video game sector within the top 100 and stood as the wealthiest individual from Jinan.

In September 2023, miHoYo's board appointed Liu Wei as legal representative and chairman, replacing Cai. Reports suggested that Cai intended to relocate to North America to concentrate on advancements in large language models. According to miHoYo, he would focus on pioneering technology research, developing new projects, and facilitating collaboration between domestic and international R&D teams. Later that year, Cai launched Anuttacon, a startup based in California, which announced its debut game titled Whispers from the Star, planned for release in 2025.

Family

After completing his studies at Jiaotong University, Cai Haoyu established his residence in Shanghai, while his relatives continue to live in Shandong. He makes it a point to visit his hometown, Jinan, every year during the Spring Festival, sustaining both personal ties and professional relationships there.

External links

• Official website