Forrest Li
Forrest Li Xiaodong | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Tianjin, China |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder, chairman, and CEO of Sea Limited; chairman of Lion City Sailors FC; president of Football Association of Singapore |
Forrest Li Xiaodong (born 1977 or 1978) is a billionaire entrepreneur based in Singapore, known as the founder, chairman, and CEO of Sea Limited. This company oversees major subsidiaries such as Garena, Shopee, and SeaMoney. Additionally, Li holds the position of chairman at Lion City Sailors FC and serves as the president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).
Living in Singapore with his family, Li was featured on the cover of Forbes Asia in August 2020. As of April 5, 2024, Forbes valued his net worth at approximately US$3.6 billion, placing him ninth among Singapore's wealthiest individuals.
Early life
Originating from Tianjin, China, Forrest Li Xiaodong completed his undergraduate studies in engineering at Shanghai Jiaotong University and later obtained an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Upon relocating to Singapore, Li arrived with modest financial means and carried $100,000 in student loan debt. He and his wife initially lived in a single-bedroom unit within a three-room HDB flat located in Braddell. Subsequently, he acquired permanent residency and Singaporean citizenship.
Career
In 2009, Li established Sea, which began as a digital entertainment enterprise called Garena operating out of a single shophouse near Tanjong Pagar. The company initially focused on game publishing but expanded its scope to include e-commerce and digital financial services. Garena launched Shopee in 2015, which has grown into one of Southeast Asia’s foremost online retail platforms. SeaMoney was also introduced to provide digital payment solutions and lending services.
After securing US$550 million in funding by May 2017, Garena rebranded as Sea Ltd while maintaining the Garena brand for its gaming division.
By March 2019, with Sea Ltd’s share price rising by 45%, Li’s personal wealth exceeded $1 billion.
Football involvement
A passionate football supporter, Li chairs Lion City Sailors, a club competing in the Singapore Premier League that Sea acquired in 2020. In 2025, he was elected president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) without opposition, focusing on enhancing youth development programs for local football talent.