Robin Li

Robin Li Yanhong (Chinese: 李彦宏; pinyin: Lǐ Yànhóng; born 17 November 1968) is a Chinese software engineer and billionaire internet entrepreneur who is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Chinese multinational technology company Baidu.[1] As of May 2025, his net worth was estimated at US$5.5 billion by Forbes.[2] Li studied information management at Peking University and computer science at the University at Buffalo. In 1996, he created RankDex.[3] In 2000, he founded Baidu with Eric Xu. Li has been CEO of Baidu since January 2004. The company was listed on NASDAQ on August 5, 2005.[4][5] Li was a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from 2013 to 2018.[6] During his tenure as CEO of Baidu, Li has been criticized for a number of controversies, including the death of Wei Zexi, advertising of unqualified hospitals on Tieba, and ad fraud.[7] Li was born in Yangquan, Shanxi Province, where he spent most of his childhood. Both of his parents were factory workers. Li was the fourth of five children, and the only boy.[8] He earned a Bachelor of Management with a major in information management from Peking University. In fall 1991, Li went to the University at Buffalo in New York to study for a doctorate in computer science. He left the doctoral program with a master's degree in 1994.[8]