Billionaire Zhihan Xu

Overview

Zhihan Xu is a billionaire and successful entrepreneur who has made his fortune through his investments in various technology companies. He is the co-founder and CEO of Zhihu, a popular online knowledge-sharing platform in China. His success has made him one of the wealthiest people in China, with a net worth of over $2 billion.

Early Life and Education

Zhihan Xu was born on October 7, 1977, in Liaoning Province, China. His parents were both teachers, and he grew up in a family that valued education. Zhihan developed a fascination with computers at an early age and spent most of his childhood tinkering with them.

After completing his high school education, Zhihan went on to study computer science at Peking University. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1999 and continued his studies by pursuing a master’s degree in computer science at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Career and Achievements

After completing his studies, Zhihan began working as a software engineer at a local technology company in Shanghai. In 2003, he co-founded his first company, Kurento Technology, which focused on developing software for videoconferencing systems. The company was later acquired by Huawei in 2007.

After the successful exit from Kurento, Zhihan moved on to co-found Zhihu, an online knowledge-sharing platform that allowed users to ask and answer questions on a wide range of topics. The platform quickly gained popularity in China, and by 2015, it had over 10 million registered users.

Under Zhihan’s leadership, Zhihu raised over $500 million in funding, making it one of the most valuable knowledge-sharing platforms in China. In 2018, Zhihu was valued at $1.5 billion after raising $270 million in a funding round led by Chinese tech giants Tencent and Baidu.

In addition to his work at Zhihu, Zhihan has also invested in several other tech companies in China, including Meituan-Dianping and JD.com. He has also served as a venture partner at Northern Light Venture Capital, where he focuses on investing in early-stage technology startups.

Personal Life

Zhihan Xu keeps a low profile and prefers to focus on his work rather than his personal life. He is known to be a private individual and rarely gives interviews to the media. However, he is passionate about education and supports several education-related initiatives in China.

Profile