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Ge Li
Chinese American entrepreneur and philanthropist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lǐ Gé (Chinese: 李革; pinyin: Lǐ Gé) is a Chinese-American entrepreneur and philanthropist, serving as the founder and chairman of WuXi AppTec, a contract pharmaceutical research, development, and manufacturing organization (CRDMO).[1][2]
 | This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. (March 2022) |
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Early life and education
Lǐ was born in China and graduated from the Affiliated High School of Peking University. He received his B.A. from Peking University in 1989 and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Columbia University in 1994.[3][4][5] At Columbia, Lǐ's mentors included W. Clark Still and Koji Nakanishi.[6]
Career
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During his employment at Pharmacopeia, Inc., Lǐ went to China to establish a joint business venture for the company.[7] Following this visit, Lǐ left the company and co-founded WuXi AppTec along with his wife, Ning Zhao,[8] in Shanghai in 2000.[9] In 2016, WuXi AppTec opened a facility in San Diego, California, expanding its presence in the United States.[10] The facility supports small molecule screening, discovery biology, and process research and development, as well as providing Phase I Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) services for North American clients. The company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange before being listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2018.[11][12] It recorded a year-on-year revenue growth of 23.8% in 2018.[13]
In 2011, Lǐ was selected as a member of the Committee of One Hundred.[14]
As of 2022, Lǐ's net worth was estimated at $10 billion by Forbes, based on WuXi AppTec’s growth and valuation, ranking him among the wealthiest individuals associated with the pharmaceutical industry in both China and the United States.[15] In 2020, Forbes listed him as the second-wealthiest American pharmaceutical executive.[16][17] In 2022, Forbes China included him in its top ten list of Chinese CEOs.[18]
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Philanthropic activities
In 2018, Lǐ and Zhao donated 100 million RMB to Peking University to establish the "Li Ge-Zhao Ning Education Fund". Following this contribution, they were named honorary trustees of the university.[19]
In 2020, the couple donated $21.5 million to Columbia University to support research and chemistry teaching.[20] In 2021, they contributed $20 million to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's research on lung cancer.[21][22]
Personal life and family
Lǐ was married to Ning Zhao, a Peking University classmate and fellow Ph.D. graduate from Columbia University, who formerly served as WuXi AppTec's senior vice president and global head of human resources.[8][23] Zhao died on May 16, 2023, after a 20-year-long illness.[24][25]
References
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