Tianqiao Chen

Early Life and Education

Tianqiao Chen was born in 1973 in Xinchang County, Zhejiang Province, China. He grew up near Shanghai. Chen earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Fudan University in 1993.

Rise to Success

Chen's career began at Shanghai Lujiazui Group in 1994. In 1999, he co-founded Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited with family members. The company quickly became a leader in China's online gaming industry and, by 2004, was the largest internet company in China by market capitalization. Chen took the company private in 2012, and the Shanda Group transitioned into a global investment company.

Key Business Strategies

Chen's success is rooted in his vision for the online gaming industry. He acquired the Chinese rights to Legend of Mir II, which helped establish Shanda's early dominance. He later focused on investing, with the Shanda Group holding significant stakes in Legg Mason, Lending Club, and Community Health Systems. His investments also span public and private equities, venture capital, and real estate.

Philanthropy

Chen and his wife, Chrissy Luo, are active philanthropists. In 2016, they created the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) with a commitment of $1 billion to support brain science research.