China's Richest Man at 32
He left a government job to join the internet. His company nearly died in the dot-com crash. Games saved it.
In 2003, a 32 year old became the richest person in mainland China.
He had not built factories or banks. He had built websites and online games.
His name is William Ding, and his company is NetEase.
A tech kid from Ningbo
William Ding, whose Chinese name is Ding Lei, was born in 1971 in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China. He loved electronics as a kid.
He studied communication technology at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, graduating in 1993.
Leaving the safe job
After college, he worked as an engineer at the telecom bureau in Ningbo. It was a secure government job.
He quit. His family was upset. He moved to Guangzhou and worked as a tech support engineer for the software company Sybase, then for an internet company.
In 1997, at 26, he founded NetEase in Guangzhou.
Free email and a near death
NetEase offered free email and a web portal. Millions of Chinese internet users signed up.
In June 2000, NetEase listed on the Nasdaq, right as the dot-com bubble burst. Its shares crashed, and an accounting problem caused trading to be halted in 2001. Many thought NetEase was finished.
Games save the day
William turned to online games. NetEase released hits like Fantasy Westward Journey, which became hugely popular in China.
Games made NetEase profitable again, and in 2003 William became China's richest person.
NetEase later partnered with Blizzard to run games like World of Warcraft in China, and launched NetEase Cloud Music and the education brand Youdao. William even started a pig farming business to produce high quality pork.
In 2024, NetEase's Marvel Rivals became a global hit.
Where he is now
Today, William Ding is founder and CEO of NetEase, one of the biggest video game companies in the world.
Why the story matters
William Ding's story shows how to survive a crash. When his first business model failed, he found a new one that worked even better.
For young builders, the lesson is simple. When your plan collapses, look for what your users love most, and build more of it.
He did not give up when the bubble burst. He pressed play.
The Record
Born: 1971
From: Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
Studied: Communication technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Built: NetEase
Timeline
1971 Born in Ningbo.
1993 Graduates from UESTC.
1997 Founds NetEase.
2000 NetEase lists on the Nasdaq.
2001 Trading halted during a crisis.
2003 Becomes China's richest person.
2024 Marvel Rivals becomes a global hit.