Li Jinyuan (businessman)
Li Jinyuan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 Cangzhou, Hebei Province, China |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist |
| Known for | Founder, chairman, and CEO of Tiens Group |
Li Jinyuan (; born 1958) is a prominent Chinese entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Tiens Group, a company specializing in direct sales of healthcare products. In 2011, he was ranked as the 24th wealthiest individual in China on Forbes' global billionaire list.
Early life and education
Originating from Cangzhou, Hebei Province, Li left formal education at the age of 14 to work in an oilfield before embarking on his entrepreneurial journey. Subsequently, he obtained an MBA degree from Nankai University.
Career
Established in Tianjin in 1995 by Li, Tiens Group had grown to employ approximately 12,000 people by 2015. Under his leadership as chairman and CEO, the company expanded significantly to become a leading entity within the healthcare direct selling industry.
In 2011, Forbes valued Li's fortune at $1.2 billion, placing him among the top-tier business magnates in China.
Li gained widespread international media coverage in 2015 after arranging a £24 million vacation to France for 6,400 employees of Tiens. This extensive trip required booking 140 hotels across Paris and coordinating over 7,600 high-speed train tickets to transport staff to the French Riviera. The event showcased both his distinctive approach to leadership and the company's robust financial standing. This grand employee incentive was recognized as an illustration of China's growing economic power.
Philanthropy
Forbes reports that Li founded the Tiens Beijing International Charitable Foundation with an initial endowment nearing $100 million and committed an additional $100 million to establish Tianshi College, a private educational institution in Tianjin that had enrolled more than 3,000 students by 2011.
In 2016, The Economic Times highlighted Li's notable donations toward disaster relief for floods and tsunamis as well as efforts combating the SARS outbreak.