Zuo Hui
{{Short description|Chinese entrepreneur and real estate tycoon (1971–2021)}}
{{Like resume|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Zuo Hui
| birth_name = Zuo Hui
| birth_date = {{birth year|1971}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|5|20|1971|1}}
| alma mater = Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Peking University
| occupation = Entrepreneur
| known_for = Founder and Chairman of KE Holdings
}}
Zuo Hui (January 1971 – May 20, 2021) was a Chinese entrepreneur, real estate tycoon and founder of KE Holdings.{{Cite web|title=Zuo Hui|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/zuo-hui/|access-date=2021-08-06|website=Forbes|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2021-05-20|title=Beike founder Zuo Hui passes away at age of 50|url=https://kr-asia.com/beike-founder-zuo-hui-passes-away-at-age-of-50|access-date=2021-08-06|website=KrASIA|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Flannery|first=Russell|title=High Rise: Billionaire Zuo Hui Dominates China's Property Transactions Market|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2020/11/11/high-rise-billionaire-zuo-hui-dominates-chinas-property-transactions-market/|access-date=2021-08-06|website=Forbes|language=en}}
Early life and education
In 1992, Zuo earned a degree in computer science from Beijing University of Chemical Technology.
In 2008, he earned a Master of Business Administration from Peking University.{{Cite web|date=2021-05-20|title=Zuo Hui, who built China's biggest online property platform, dies at 50|url=https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3134223/zuo-hui-founder-chinas-biggest-online-real-estate-platform-beike-zhaofang|access-date=2021-08-06|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}
Career
After graduating, Zuo worked in a series of sales jobs in insurance and other industries.
In 2001, he founded Beijing Lianjia, a Chinese real-estate brokerage company.{{Cite web|title=Founder of China property platform Beike is worth US$20b|url=https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/founder-of-china-property-platform-beike-is-worth-us20b|access-date=2021-08-06|website=www.businesstimes.com.sg}}
In 2010, Zuo started Yiju Taihe, which offered property-related financial services.
In 2018, Zuo founded Beike, an online brokerage platform. In the same year, Zuo created KE Holdings, an umbrella company into which he put Lianjia, Yiju Taihe and Beike.
In 2020, KE Holdings raised $2.12 billion from its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, valuing the company at just under $40 billion.{{Cite web|date=2020-08-14|title=Tencent-backed Beike surges on NYSE debut amid strained US-China ties|url=https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3097307/beike-zhaofang-stock-surges-nyse-debut-after-solid-ipo-reception|access-date=2021-08-06|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Swartz|first=Jon|title=A Chinese IPO just raised more than $2 billion amid tensions between U.S., China|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ke-holdings-shares-are-off-to-a-flying-start-in-ipo-debut-that-raises-212-billion-2020-08-13|access-date=2021-08-06|website=MarketWatch|language=EN-US}}
Net worth
In April 2021, Forbes estimated Zuo's net worth to be $15.5 billion.
Death
Zuo died on May 20, 2021, at 50 years old as a result of an unspecified illness. Beike named CEO Peng Yongdong as the new chairman following his death.{{Cite web|last=Flannery|first=Russell|title=Pioneering China Real Estate Billionaire Zuo Hui Dies At 50; KE Plunges|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2021/05/20/china-loses-pioneering-billionaire-force-in-worlds-largest-residential-property-market-ke-plunges/|access-date=2021-08-06|website=Forbes|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2021-05-24|title=Beike names CEO Peng Yongdong as new chairman following Zuo Hui's death|url=https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3134689/beike-names-ceo-peng-yongdong-new-chairman-following-zuo-huis|access-date=2021-08-06|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}