Ding Lei
Founder and CEO of NetEase, a Chinese gaming and internet giant
- Age
- 55 yrs
- Birthday in 329 days
- Works listed
- 0
- Career highlights
- Honours
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- Awards & distinctions
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Ding Lei, known as William Ding, is a Chinese businessman who founded the internet company NetEase in 1997. NetEase grew from email and portal services into one of the world’s largest video-game companies, and he became one of China’s youngest billionaires.
Biography
Background
Ding studied communications technology at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and worked for China Telecom in Ningbo and at Sybase.
NetEase
He founded NetEase in Guangzhou in 1997, offering free email and a web portal. It listed on the Nasdaq in 2000.
Games
NetEase’s online games, such as Fantasy Westward Journey, and partnerships with Blizzard made it a gaming powerhouse. It co-developed Marvel Rivals (2024).
Other ventures
NetEase runs NetEase Cloud Music and an education business, and Ding started a pig farm to improve food safety.
Timeline
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1971
Born in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
-
1997
Founds NetEase
-
2000
NetEase IPO
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2003
Becomes China’s richest person
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2008
Partners with Blizzard
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2013
NetEase Cloud Music
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2024
Marvel Rivals
Did you know?
-
1
In 2003 he was named China’s richest person at 32.
-
2
He raises pigs as a side business.
-
3
NetEase’s name means “easy net”.
Frequently asked
Who is Ding Lei?
Ding Lei, known as William Ding, is a Chinese businessman who founded the internet company NetEase in 1997. NetEase grew from email and portal services into one of the world’s largest video-game companies, and he became one of China’s youngest billionaires.
How old is Ding Lei?
Ding Lei is 55 years old, born on 1 October 1971 in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
Where is Ding Lei from?
Ding Lei was born in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
What is Ding Lei known for?
Ding Lei is best known for Founding NetEase (1997); online games; NetEase Cloud Music.
References
- Ding Lei — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ding Lei (Q5278137) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Ding Lei”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Ding Lei.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/william-ding
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