Li Shufu

Moving China And The World.

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The history of the automobile is scattered with brilliant entrepreneurs. Karl Benz’s horseless carriage, Henry Ford’s mass production techniques, and Soichiro Honda’s dream of getting post-war Japan mobile again – these are some of the enduring names in automotive history that live on through their cars.

On the other hand, Li Shufu’s name is not on any of his cars. But the company that he founded – Geely Automobile – may well be the name that transforms the automotive world to face its next era. Emissions-free vehicles, self-driving cars, and even flying cars are some of the mobility solutions explored by Geely.

But how did the son of a farming community find his way in the cutthroat world of automotive manufacturing? How did Geely rise to the challenge and outmaneuver many of its bigger domestic rivals? In this issue of SME, we explore the contemporary rags-to-riches story of China’s most visionary auto magnate.

ENTREPRENEUR FROM DAY ONE

Li Shufu was born in 1963, the third son out of four siblings in a poor rural family. Back then, owning a car was beyond the dreams of many Chinese people. Only high-ranking government officials had ‘Red Flag’ limousines, which passed by Li’s village frequently on the way to the nearby military airport. The young Li was enamoured by those machines, building models out of sand.

As his family was too poor to support his further education, Li did not go on to university. At the age of 19, Li was forced to be an entrepreneur, using a loan of 120 yuan from his father to start a photography business. At first, he was an itinerant photographer, using an inexpensive camera to take pictures of tourists at scenic spots.