Liang Wenfeng, the visionary founder of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, has been named to TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2025” list, earning global acclaim for his role in reshaping the artificial intelligence landscape and challenging U.S. dominance in the field.
“It took a while for Silicon Valley to comprehend exactly what Liang Wenfeng had achieved. But soon markets were reeling, US tech dominance was being openly questioned, and Liang had been propelled to global renown,” TIME wrote in its feature.
Liang, 40, first appeared on the global billionaire radar on March 27 when the Hurun Research Institute listed him on its 2025 Global Rich List with a fortune of 33 billion yuan (about $44.9 billion).
Founded in July 2023, DeepSeek — officially known as DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Fundamental Technology Research Co Ltd — is focused on advancing large language models (LLMs) and foundational AI technologies. According to Xinhua News Agency, the company’s rapid success reflects China’s growing ambitions in the global AI race.
On January 20, DeepSeek launched its open-source model, DeepSeek-R1, which surged to the top of Apple’s App Store free app rankings, overtaking OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The app’s user base expanded at breakneck speed, with CCTV News reporting on February 13 that it had become the fastest AI app to surpass 30 million daily active users.
By March, DeepSeek had reached 194 million monthly active users — the highest among Chinese AI platforms — according to data from mobile intelligence firm QuestMobile.
Liang’s inclusion in TIME’s influential list marks a significant milestone not just for the entrepreneur himself, but also for China’s broader push to become a global leader in AI innovation.
