Richard Qiangdong Liu founded China’s largest online retailer by market value, JD.com. Since then, JD.com has grown exponentially and generates substantial sales.
However, Richard Liu has remained grounded and committed to running his business honestly and ethically, earning him the title of ‘world’s greatest leader.’ Fortune Magazine also recognizes Liu as one of the World’s Greatest Leaders.
During the Cultural Revolution, Richard Liu grew up in Jiangsu province, China. His parents were farmers who struggled to feed their families throughout the year. During the summer, they didn’t get enough food to sustain their large family. As a result, they relied on corn husks as their primary source of nutrition. When they weren’t eating corn, his mother would boil it and form it into cakes to serve breakfast snacks.
Liu Qiangdong decided to go to university in Beijing, but the trip there was about $80. Fortunately, his friends and neighbors were willing to contribute what they could, as many came from poor backgrounds.
Richard Liu was originally studying sociology to become a politician. Still, he soon discovered that even though he had taken all his classes and done all his homework, there were still plenty of free days during weekdays. He worked at a small shop that could not afford a copier. Qiangdong taught himself computer programming, and within weeks he started making money doing side jobs online. At first, the money wasn’t enough to buy him a PC and phone, but once he saved up enough cash, he bought them both. He then decided to quit teaching and focus on selling software instead. His popularity with customers grew, and he soon earned more money than he had ever imagined.
Once he made enough cash, he paid back the loan he borrowed from his cousin and bought a lovely apartment for his family. When the SARS epidemic struck in 2003, the Chinese economy was already in trouble. Many stores shut down due to a lack of sales, leaving Richard Liu out of business. He turned to the Internet to sell his wares. See this page for more information.
More about Liu Qiangdong on https://www.jd.co.th/