Li Hejun

Li Hejun
Born	(1967-08-13) August 13, 1967 Heyuan, Guangdong, China
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Years active	1989–present
Known for	Founder and chairman of Hanergy

Li Hejun (; born 13 August 1967) is a Chinese entrepreneur and former billionaire. He founded and chairs Hanergy, a global renewable energy corporation specializing in thin-film solar technology, wind power, and hydropower. Li was a member of the 11th and 12th CPPCC National Committee and held key posts within the ACFIC, including vice-chairman of its 11th Executive Committee and honorary president of its New Energy Chamber of Commerce.

At its height in March 2015, Li's net worth reached $21.1 billion according to Forbes, but it dropped to $1.9 billion by March 2017. In December 2022, he was taken into police custody in Liaoning province.

Early life

Li was born in Heyuan, Guangdong Province. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Beijing Jiaotong University in 1988. Later, in 2002, he commenced doctoral studies in macroeconomics at University of Cambridge.

Business career

In 1989, Li started Hanergy with a loan of 50,000 yuan. The company expanded into an international renewable energy enterprise concentrating on thin-film solar, wind, and hydropower generation. From 2002 to 2011, he oversaw the development of the Jin’anqiao Hydropower Station in Yunnan Province, a project exceeding 20 billion yuan in investment and boasting capacity greater than that of notable dams such as Gezhouba and Hoover.

Hanergy transitioned its focus to thin-film solar technology in 2009. Between 2010 and 2015, it invested more than 50 billion yuan to acquire several firms: Germany’s Solibro Hi-Tech GmbH and Solibro Research AB, as well as U.S.-based MiaSolé, Global Solar Energy, and Alta Devices.

In 2013, Li authored New Energy Revolution: the Power to Change China and the World, emphasizing the strategic competition for fundamental energy technologies and forecasting a third industrial revolution propelled by thin-film solar integrated with internet technologies. The book’s English edition was published in 2014.

His investments also include Asia’s largest offshore wind power facility at WuDong (2008) and the world’s largest privately owned hydropower station at Jin’anqiao (2002–2011). Since 2015, his efforts have been concentrated on scaling Hanergy into a leading thin-film solar energy enterprise.

Li has occupied several prominent roles such as founding president of ACFIC’s New Energy Chamber of Commerce (now honorary lifetime president), member of the All-China Youth Federation, vice president of the China Young Entrepreneurs Association, and permanent honorary president of the Guangdong Hakka Chamber of Commerce.

He was recognized as mainland China’s wealthiest individual by New Fortune Magazine (2014–2015) and Forbes (2015). However, his business stature diminished following his December 2022 arrest amid financial difficulties faced by Hanergy.

Philanthropy

Throughout his professional journey, Li has launched numerous charitable initiatives. Serving as a principal sponsor and the inaugural executive director-general of the China Red Ribbon Foundation—dedicated to AIDS prevention and treatment—he has supported diverse projects addressing AIDS awareness, education, poverty alleviation, and combating desertification both within China and internationally.

Personal life

Li is married and currently lives in Beijing, China.