E ric Li, also known as Li Shufu, is a Chinese automotive tycoon and the founder and chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, one of China's largest and most successful private automakers. His is a classic self-made story. He started his career with a small business making refrigerator parts and later moved into motorcycle manufacturing before entering the highly competitive automotive industry in the late 1990s.

He built Geely into a major domestic automaker and then embarked on an ambitious global expansion. His most famous move was the 2010 acquisition of the Swedish car brand Volvo from Ford Motor Company, a deal that stunned the automotive world. He has since overseen a remarkable turnaround and revitalization of the Volvo brand. His global portfolio has continued to grow, with Geely acquiring stakes in other iconic automotive brands, including the British sports car maker Lotus, and becoming the largest single shareholder in the German auto giant Daimler (the parent of Mercedes-Benz).