The founder of DeepSeek, Liang Wenfeng, returns home to a hero's warm welcome.

Lian Wenfeng, founder of DeepSeek, has been hailed as a hero in Guangdong Province, his hometown, where he recently returned to celebrate the Lunar New Year. This 40-year-old entrepreneur, who has amassed a fortune through his hedge fund, High-Flyer, has gained even more admiration from local residents following his company’s advancements in research, which show that it is possible to develop robust artificial intelligence models using fewer and less powerful Nvidia chips.

These findings have significant implications, especially in China, where access to the most advanced chips has been restricted. Residents of his hometown have shared that Wenfeng was a “prominent student” who enjoyed comics and excelled in math, coming from a family of educators. According to a local inhabitant, he also played soccer in his youth. “We all grew up in this town,” the resident commented. “We are very proud of him.”

Despite his growing popularity, Wenfeng has maintained a low profile, which has frustrated those eager to learn more about him. Given the experiences of other Chinese business leaders like Jack Ma and Pony Ma, who faced government scrutiny after becoming too visible, it would not be surprising if Wenfeng chooses to remain anonymous.