Who is Richard Liu? Things you should know about the Chinese billionaire

Sep 12 , 2018

Richard Liu and his wife, Zhang Zetian, met in the US where they were both studying.

Here are some interesting facts about the founder and CEO of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com

Founder and CEO of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com Richard Liu Qiangdong recently made headlines after he was taken into custody on August 31 by Minneapolis police on suspicion of criminal sexual misconduct. He was later released with no charges filed.

So who is Richard Liu?

No charges against Richard Liu were filed following his arrest. Photo: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office/ AP

JD.com CEO Richard Liu willing to cooperate further with US authorities if needed after rape allegation arrest

Liu founded Jingdong Mall (JD.com) in 2004, which went on to become one of China’s e-commerce heavyweights, alongside other tech giants like Alibaba’s Tmall. (Alibaba is the parent company of the South China Morning Post.)

Headquartered in Beijing, JD.com is one of the biggest B2C (business to consumer) online retailers in China, based on transaction volume and revenue. It is also a member of the Fortune Global 500.

Here are some facts you should know about the 44-year-old billionaire:

1. The love story with ‘Milk Tea Sister’

He wedded Zhang Zetian in 2015, who was 21 years old and pregnant at the time, 19 years his junior. The daughter of a Nanjing-based company director Zhang Lihou, Zhang rose to internet stardom in 2009 when a photo of her holding a cup of milk tea went viral online.

The photo that brought Zhang Zetian to fame.