Liu Yiqian

Liu Yiqian (Chinese: 刘益谦; pinyin: Liú Yìqiān, pronounced [ljǒʊ îtɕʰjɛ́n], born 1963) is a Chinese billionaire investor and art collector. An autodidact who formerly worked as a taxi driver, he has built his fortune since the mid-1980s by investing in stock trading, real estate[2] and pharmaceuticals.[1]

Liu Yiqian
Born1963 (age 5960)[1]
Shanghai, China
OccupationBusinessman
Known forChairman of Sunline Group
SpouseWang Wei
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese

Biography

Born in 1963 into a working-class family in Shanghai, Liu Yiqian dropped out of school at the age of 14, in order to help his mother to sell handbags on the street. Then he became a taxi driver in Shanghai for two years in the mid-1980s, before making his fortune in the 1990s as part of the new rich who emerged after China's reform and opening-up policy. He bought shares, paying around 160 yuan ($30) a share, of a Chinese company which became one of the first to list on the stock exchange as China began developing its capital markets. As a consequence, in just two years, the share price jumped to over 10,000 yuan. Liu increased his fortune by touring the major cities to buy up shares in state-owned enterprises from their market economy from unaware employees before these enterprises listed.[3][4]

He met his wife Wang Wei as he was a taxi driver in Shanghai, after Liu saw a photograph of Wang at a mutual friend's place. They have three daughters and one son.

Business

Liu is chairman of Sunline Group, a Shanghai-based investment company[5] As of 2010, the value of his real estate properties have increased to 10 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) over the past 19 years.[6]

In 2004, Liu established the companies Tianping Auto Insurance and Guohua Life Insurance. In April 2013, Tianping formed a joint venture with AXA.[7]

According to Forbes, as of July 2015, Liu has a net worth of US$1.37 billion. He ranked as the 163rd wealthiest individual in China and 1,533rd wealthiest in the world.[5]

Art collecting

In April 2014, Liu paid HK$281.24 million (US$36.3 million) for a 500-year-old Ming dynasty doucai chicken cup.[8][9]

In March 2015, he paid HK$348 million (US$45 million) for a 600-year-old embroidered silk thangka (tapestry) that was commissioned by the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty.[10] It was a record high price for a Chinese work of art sold by an international auction house.[11][12] Later that month, he bought an antique Tibetan bronze yogi sitting in the lotus position at an auction at Sotheby's in New York.[11]

In April 2015, he paid US$14.7 million for a Guan ware vase from the Southern Song dynasty.[13]

In November 2015, he bought Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani's Nu couché (1917–18), a widely known painting of a reclining nude woman, for US$170.4 million, the second-highest price for an artwork at auction, in a volatile sale at Christie's in New York.[14] He paid for the painting with his American Express Centurion card.[15]

Long Museum

Liu and his wife Wang Wei founded the Long Museum, with two locations in Shanghai.[16] In 2016, a third location was opened in Chongqing and a Wuhan branch is scheduled for 2018.[17]

References

  1. "Liu Yiqian". Forbes. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  2. NRC Handelsblad, Oscar Garschagen on Chinese museums and collectors of art. Page C4 10 juli 2014
  3. read interview of Wang Wei: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/arts-and-culture/chinese-collector-wang-wei-on-life-art-and-why-modigliani-is-worth-us170m-20170329-gv918r
  4. resd https://www.artnews.com/art-collectors/top-200-profiles/wang-wei-and-liu-yiqian/
  5. "Liu Yiqian". Forbes (in Japanese). 1 January 1970. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  6. "Top 10 figures influencing the stock market". China Daily. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  7. Xu Donghuan (22 April 2014). "'Uncultured' multi-billionaire is China's biggest fine-art collector | South China Morning Post". Scmp.com.
  8. Kun, Zhang (25 July 2014). "Collector pays $36 million for tea cupLife Style". China Daily. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  9. "'Uncultured' multi-billionaire is China's biggest fine-art collector | Times of News from China". China.timesofnews.com. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  10. Qin, Amy (26 November 2014). "Chinese Artwork Brings Auction Record of $45 Million". The New York Times.
  11. Frederik Balfour (16 April 2015). "The Expensive Antics of China's Gaudiest Billionaire – Bloomberg Business". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  12. "Chinese Billionaire Liu Yiqian Adds $45 million Thangka To His Art Collection". Forbes.com. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  13. Napolitano, Dean (7 April 2015). "Southern Song Dynasty-Era Vase Sells for $14.7 Million at Sotheby's Auction". WSJ. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  14. Connor, Neil (10 November 2015). "Meet the Chinese billionaire behind the record Amedeo Modigliani purchase". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  15. "Billionaire buys $170M painting with credit card". 23 November 2015.
  16. Long Museum website: About Long Museum
  17. Jiayang, Fan (7 November 2016). "THE EMPEROR'S NEW MUSEUM". The New Yorker. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
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