Ye Guofu
Ye Guofu | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day China |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founder, chairman, and CEO of MINISO |
Ye Guofu (Chinese: 叶国富; pinyin: Yè Guófù; born November 1977) is a Chinese billionaire businessman, recognized as the founder, chairman, and CEO of the lifestyle retail corporation MINISO. He holds the distinction of being the first Chinese entrepreneur to establish a retail chain with a broad international footprint.
Biography
In 2000, Ye Guofu graduated with a diploma in economic management from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. Following his studies, he relocated to Guangzhou, where MINISO’s corporate headquarters are situated, and embarked on his entrepreneurial journey. It was in Guangzhou that he met his wife, Yang Yunyun, who is also a billionaire entrepreneur and serves as vice president of MINISO.
Ye began by managing various retail businesses, including the 10-yuan store Aiyaya. In 2013, he launched MINISO (initially known as Mingchuangyoupin), starting from a garage in Guangzhou. By 2015, MINISO had begun its international expansion with an outlet opening in Singapore. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Ye to accelerate the brand’s global growth. MINISO was listed on the NYSE in October 2020 and subsequently on the HKEX in June 2022.
His public service roles include being a delegate to the 12th Guangdong Province People's Congress and vice-chairman of the 12th Federation of Industry and Commerce in Guangzhou’s Liwan District. Additionally, Ye chairs the Shiyan Chamber of Commerce in Shenzhen and delivers lectures at Peking University.
Ye’s leadership has earned him several accolades: he was honored as one of the ‘Top 10 Influential Branders of the Year 2018,’ included among China’s TOP50 Young Business Leaders, ranked 148th on Forbes’ 2020 China Rich List, and featured in the "Top 500 Chinese Brand Characters 2021." In 2023, Ye and Yang were placed 118th on the Hurun China Rich List; in 2024, Ye ranked 690th on the Hurun Global Rich List. That same year, Forbes named him China’s Best CEO and included him on its Global Billionaires List with an estimated net worth of $2.2 billion.
Philanthropy
At the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, Ye contributed protective equipment and essential goods valued at 3 million yuan to his hometown of Shiyan City in Hubei Province. In his capacity as chairman of the Shiyan Chamber of Commerce in Shenzhen, he also motivated other business leaders to offer further assistance.