Zhang Jindong
Zhang Jindong | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Tianchang, Anhui Province, China |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | Founder and honorary chairman of Suning.com; former owner of Inter Milan |
Zhang Jindong (; born March 1963) is a prominent Chinese business figure, recognized as one of the founders and the current honorary chairman of Suning.com, which is based in Nanjing, Jiangsu. He fully owns Suning Holdings Group, holds a 65% controlling interest in Suning Real Estate, and possesses a 48.1% share in Suning Appliance Group, positioning him as the second largest shareholder. Until May 2024, his enterprise was the principal owner of the Italian football club Inter Milan.
In addition to these roles, Zhang has served as managing director and general manager of Suning Holdings Group, as well as chairman of Suning.com.
Biography
Born in Tianchang, Anhui Province in 1963, Zhang Jindong graduated from the Chinese department at Nanjing Normal University.
In 1990, Zhang and his elder brother Zhang Guiping launched a retail outlet at the intersection of Ninghai Road and Jiangsu Road in Nanjing, specializing in air conditioning and related equipment. The name "Suning" originates from combining characters representing Jiangsu and Ninghai. While Zhang Guiping later departed to concentrate on real estate development through Suning Universal, Zhang Jindong established Suning Real Estate.
Over a span of fifteen years, Zhang transformed this modest store into the expansive Suning Group conglomerate. He founded Suning Holdings Group and co-founded Suning Appliance Group, both operating as private companies, leaving only Suning.com (previously Suning Commerce Group) as the publicly listed entity. In 2013, he was ranked ninth on the Hurun China Rich List with an estimated net worth of $6.4 billion and placed 28th on Forbes's 2015 China Rich List.
Zhang has also been involved in political affairs, serving as a member of both the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Provincial People's Congress.
On June 6, 2016, through Suning Holdings Group, Zhang secured a majority ownership (68.55%) of Italian football club Inter Milan by combining share acquisitions with recapitalization efforts. This transaction received approval on June 28, 2016.
In July 2021, Zhang relinquished his position as chairman of Suning.com and transitioned to the role of honorary chairman.
In 2021, Forbes valued his personal fortune at approximately US$7.4 billion.
Personal life
Zhang's son, Zhang Kangyang (Steven), owns a 10% interest in Suning Real Estate, one of Zhang Jindong’s private enterprises. After Suning Holdings Group acquired majority control over the football club Inter Milan in 2016, Steven joined Inter’s board and has held the position of chairman since 2018. Notably, Zhang Jindong himself does not serve on Inter Milan’s board.