The Rise of Liang Wenfeng
In a remote village in southern China’s Guangdong province, a transformation has taken place. Mililing, once an obscure rural community, has become a pilgrimage site for hundreds of visitors daily. They come to pay homage to Liang Wenfeng, the 40-year-old founder of DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence start-up that’s shaken the tech world.
Liang’s journey from humble beginnings to becoming a household name embodies the Chinese spirit of achieving greatness through intellectual excellence. Born in 1985 to a primary school teacher, Liang grew up in a China that was still recovering from a planned economy, with a GDP per capita of just $300 and limited financial infrastructure.
The villagers, many sharing Liang’s surname, have set up stalls near his childhood home, selling souvenirs and ‘zhuangyuan sugar cane juice’ – a nod to the ancient title given to top scorers in imperial examinations. This phenomenon highlights how Liang’s success has been embraced as a symbol of national pride, much like the nuclear and rocket scientists who advanced China’s strategic advantages in the 1950s and 60s.
Liang’s rise to prominence began in January when DeepSeek unveiled its powerful reasoning model, surprising Silicon Valley and Wall Street. Since then, he has become one of China’s most influential figures, viewed globally as a formidable technology entrepreneur with the potential to challenge US leaders like OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
“China can’t always be a follower,” Liang told Chinese media outlet 36Kr in 2024, encapsulating his vision for China’s place in the AI landscape. His newfound status was underscored during his Lunar New Year visit to the village, where he was accompanied by armed police officers, highlighting his critical importance to the nation.
As China continues its tech rivalry with the US, Liang Wenfeng stands at the forefront, inspiring a nation with his achievements and symbolizing the country’s growing prowess in artificial intelligence.
