Rise to Power of Robin Zeng: China's Wealthy Tycoon in the Realm of Batteries

In Hong Kong, EV battery innovator Robin Zeng is in a wealth competition with Li Ka-shing, vying for the distinction as the city's wealthiest resident. Zeng embodies a fresh archetype of tycoons emerging in China.

, and Administrator

2025 September 3 . 12:41 PM

2 min read

Rise to Power of Robin Zeng: China's Wealthy Tycoon in the Battery Industry

Rise to Power of Robin Zeng: China's Wealthy Tycoon in the Realm of Batteries

In the heart of Ningde, China, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) has risen to become the world's foremost manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems. This meteoric rise can be traced back to the company's humble beginnings, founded by Robin Zeng in 1999.

Zeng, who began his career co-founding Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), initially produced batteries for portable devices. After ATL was acquired by Japan’s TDK in 2005, Zeng continued as a manager, setting up an R&D unit focused on EV batteries as early as 2009. In 2011, Zeng led a group of Chinese investors to spin off the EV battery division from ATL into the new company CATL, acquiring an 85% stake while TDK retained 15% until 2015.

CATL's business strategy, influenced by management practices learned from TDK and Huawei, emphasizes rapid innovation and flexibility. For example, Zeng depreciates new production lines over five years to avoid sunk cost inertia, preparing the company to pivot as battery chemistries evolve. His leadership philosophy is based on a Confucian triad of “refine yourself, enable others, strive to innovate,” supported by strong stock ownership and a large engineering team focused on AI-guided materials research and battery management software.

Under Zeng's direction, CATL pursues circular economy approaches by developing large-scale battery recycling and second-life applications, positioning itself in the growing $165 billion mid-century recycling market. This complements CATL’s product innovation, such as batteries rated for extremely high cycle life and establishing swap-station networks with integrated take-back schemes.

CATL's secondary listing in Hong Kong, supported by global investors like Norway’s Norges Bank fund, came amid geopolitical challenges including U.S. security concerns and import restrictions citing alleged risks, which CATL has denied. Despite these hurdles, Zeng's CATL is widely recognized as central to the global clean energy transition and is a major contender in the battery industry.

As of mid-2025, Robin Zeng's net worth is estimated near $40 billion, reflecting CATL's massive market success and investor confidence, and placing him among the wealthiest individuals in Hong Kong. Zeng, who grew up in poverty in a mountain village in Fujian, China, is now a Hong Kong citizen and is competing with Li Ka-shing for the title of Hong Kong's richest person.

Zeng's approach combines technical innovation, strategic financial management, and sustainability commitments, fueling CATL's leadership in the global EV battery market. The company's batteries were installed in one in three EVs globally last year, and the IPO of CATL in Hong Kong was the world's biggest of the year, with a market value of roughly $166 billion. With CATL at the helm, the future of the EV battery industry looks promising and sustainable.