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

Chin The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible ( 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 well-developed chin is considered to be one ...

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

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, 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 group ...

and

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...

of Suntech Power.

Biography

Shi was born in

Yangzhong Yangzhong () is a county-level city under the administration of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, China. It is the easternmost county-level division of Zhenjiang City. History There were only several smaller shoals in the area of present-day Yangzhon ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with it ...

, 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 Changchun University of Science and Technology () is a key university in Changchun, Jilin, China, previously known as Changchun Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (). It was founded by Wang Daheng in 1958. After half a century's developm ...

, and obtained his

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an 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 practice.

from the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics,

Chinese Academy of Sciences The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); ), known by Academia Sinica in English until the 1980s, is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for natural sciences. It has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republi ...

. Afterward, Shi went to the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

's School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering where he obtained his doctorate degree on solar power technology. He acquired

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

n citizenship and returned to China in 2001 to set up his solar power company - Suntech Power. According to Hurun Report's China Rich List 2013, he had a personal net worth of US$330 million. Shi was elected Fellow of the

Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) is a learned academy that helps Australians understand and use technology to solve complex problems. It was founded in 1975 as one of Australia's then four learned academies (now five) ...

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. 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 published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

'', 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 news agency of the People's Republic of China. Xinhua ...

'', September 16, 2017.Investment in solar a sure bet says Chinese pioneer
, ''

University of New England University of New England may refer to: * University of New England (Australia), in New South Wales, with about 18,000 students * University of New England (United States), in Biddeford, Maine, with about 3,000 students See also *New England Colle ...

'', Published 17 October 2017.

Philanthropy

He has donated funds to a

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

research unit at the

University of NSW The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...

, Australia "because he felt it was not getting an appropriate level of government support", according to

Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, are a confederation of Green state and territory political parties in Australia. As of the 2022 federal election, the Greens are the third largest political party in Australia by vote and t ...

Senator

Christine Milne Christine Anne Milne (; born 14 May 1953) is an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Tasmania. She was the leader of the parliamentary caucus of the Australian Greens from 2012 to 2015. Milne stepped down as leader on 6 May 2015, ...

.'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 ...

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

References

External links

China: the Sun King

ABC Radio National Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. History 1937: Predecessors a ...

Shi Zhengrong: China's sunshine boy
CNN
Shi Zhengrong

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...

#396 Shi Zhengrong
The World's Billionaires 2008,

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

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