Shi Zhengrong (, born on February 10, 1963) is a

Chin The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible (List_of_human_anatomical_regions#Regions, mental region) below the lower lip. A fully developed human skull has a chin of between 0.7 cm and 1.1 cm. Evolution The presence of a we ...

ese- Australian businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and, up to March 2013,

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

and

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of Suntech Power.

Biography

Shi was born in Yangzhong,

Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...

, China. His identical twin brother is Chen Henglong, who is also a tycoon. He finished his undergraduate study at Changchun University of Science and Technology, and obtained his

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

from the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics,

Chinese Academy of Sciences The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS; ) is the national academy for natural sciences and the highest consultancy for science and technology of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's largest research organization, with 106 research i ...

. Afterward, Shi went to the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...

's School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering where he obtained his doctorate degree on solar power technology. Shi studied with Professor Martin Green. He acquired

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n citizenship and returned to China in 2001 to set up the

solar power Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect to c ...

company Suntech Power. Shi founded Suntech with support from the

Wuxi Wuxi ( zh, s=无锡, p=Wúxī, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu, China. As of the 2024 census, it had a population of 7,495,000. The city lies in the southern Yangtze delta and borders Lake Tai. Notable landmarks include Lihu Park, the Mt. Lings ...

city government, which held a 25% stake in the company. After Suntech's listing on the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...

in 2005, Shi became the richest person in China. Academic Lan Xiaohuan writes that Shi's wealth following the listing "acted as a strong demonstration effect and local governments across China soon began to invest in the solar industry." Shi was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2009. In 2009, Shi also received the Oslo Business for Peace Award, an award chosen by Nobel winners to leaders in the private sector who have demonstrated transformative and positive change through ethical business practices. According to Hurun Report's China Rich List 2013, he had a personal net worth of US$330 million. Amid fierce price competition on its products, on 20 March 2013, the Suntech board declared bankruptcy in the wake of defaulting on US$541 million-worth of bonds, Shi had been demoted from chairman to director earlier that month. The ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'', quoting the '' Shanghai Securities News'', reported at the time that Shi's movements were being restricted and that he was not allowed to leave China pending an investigation into his role at Suntech. By 2016, he was living in Shanghai and frequently visiting Australia. As of 2017 and 2018, Dr. Shi Zhengrong had been seen actively giving key note speeches at solar conferences and promoting the use of solar technologies in both China and overseas.Thousands of photovoltaic elites gather in Shanghai to discuss jointly the ways of innovation and development of the industry
, '' PGO China'', September 12, 2018.Shi Zhengrong: vast room exists for development, innovation and application of PV products
, ''

Xinhua Xinhua News Agency (English pronunciation: ),J. C. Wells: Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, 3rd ed., for both British and American English or New China News Agency, is the official State media, state news agency of the China, People's Republic ...

'', September 16, 2017.Investment in solar a sure bet says Chinese pioneer
, '' University of New England'', Published 17 October 2017.

Philanthropy

He has donated funds to a

renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...

research unit at the University of NSW, Australia "because he felt it was not getting an appropriate level of government support", according to

Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly referred to simply as the Greens, are a Left-wing politics, left-wing green party, green Australian List of political parties in Australia, political party. As of 2025, the Greens are the third largest politica ...

Senator Christine Milne.'Climate of fear' in solar research
''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in 1 ...

'', 30 May 2006. Accessed 5 June 2006.

References

External links

China: the Sun King
ABC Radio National
Shi Zhengrong: China's sunshine boy

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

Shi Zhengrong

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...

#396 Shi Zhengrong
The World's Billionaires 2008,

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

Mr Sunshine: China's solar billionaire Shi Zhengrong
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shi, Zhengrong 1963 births Living people 21st-century Chinese businesspeople Australian chief executives Australian company founders Australian energy industry businesspeople Billionaires from Jiangsu Businesspeople from Jiangsu Changchun University of Science and Technology alumni Chinese chief executives Chinese company founders Chinese emigrants to Australia Chinese energy industry businesspeople Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Identical twins Naturalised citizens of Australia People associated with solar power People from Zhenjiang Renewable energy commercialization Sustainability advocates Chinese twins University of New South Wales alumni