Founder of Moore Threads, China’s ‘Nvidia,’ becomes billionaire after blockbuster IPO

By Phong Ngo December 11, 2025 | 03:00 pm PT

Zhang Jianzhong, founder of Moore Threads Technology, became worth $4.3 billion after his Chinese AI chipmaker’s shares soared 425% during its Shanghai market debut last week.

The firm raised 8 billion yuan (US$1.1 billion) in what became mainland China’s second-largest IPO of the year, Bloomberg reported. The staggering first-day surge pushed Moore Threads’ market capitalization close to US$40 billion, instantly turning Zhang into one of China’s latest AI billionaires thanks to his stake in the company.

Zhang Jianzhong, founder of Moore Threads Technology. Photo from X

Zhang, 59, has nearly two decades of experience in the semiconductor industry. He led Nvidia’s China unit for 14 years before founding Moore Threads in 2020, according to Forbes.

In late 2023, Zhang faced a major setback when the U.S. government added Moore Threads to its trading blacklist, potentially restricting access to essential foreign technologies.

Despite the challenge, Zhang remained resolute. "Nothing will impact our determination to develop the best all-purpose chips in China," he said. "We will continue this task until the end."

Two years later, Zhang has delivered on that promise with the company’s blockbuster IPO.

The IPO has also minted additional billionaires, including co-founders such as vice president Zhang Yubo ($1.7 billion), director Zhou Yuan ($1.4 billion), and vice president Wang Dong ($1.4 billion).