Forrest Li Xiaodong is a Chinese-born Singaporean entrepreneur, the self-made billionaire founder, Chairman, and CEO of Sea Limited (NYSE: SE), a massive global technology platform encompassing gaming (Garena), e-commerce (Shopee), and digital finance (SeaMoney). Born in Tianjin, China, in 1977, his background is technical and entrepreneurial.

Li graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University and earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. After graduation, he moved to Singapore with limited financial resources and $100,000 in student loan debt. He was inspired to become a startup founder by Steve Jobs' famous stay hungry, stay foolish commencement speech at Stanford.

Forrest Li founded Sea Limited in 2009 (initially as Garena) in a single shophouse off Maxwell Road in Singapore. His strategic vision was audacious: dominate the digital landscape of Southeast Asia. The company first focused on game publishing (Garena), quickly becoming a regional leader. He successfully diversified into e-commerce (Shopee in 2015) and digital financial services (SeaMoney).

Sea Limited executed its successful IPO on the NYSE in 2017. Li's wealth skyrocketed, making him one of the wealthiest people in Singapore and an influential figure in Asian business. He is also a passionate football enthusiast, acquiring the Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors FC in 2020 and, in 2025, being elected unopposed as the President of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), committing to expanding youth development.

Forrest Li's social impact is massive and structural, tied to Sea Limited's role in driving the digital and economic transformation of Southeast Asia. The platform has created a massive ecosystem for small businesses and content creators.

His personal philanthropy focuses on youth development and education through the Lion City Sailors FC (building a major training facility) and his role at FAS, committed to bringing pride and joy back to Singapore football.

Forrest Li maintains the professional, high-IQ style of a technology CEO. His attire is consistently modern and high-quality, favoring tailored business casual wear. His aesthetic is one of confident, disruptive authority, reflecting his focus on product and his commitment to localized market dominance.

Residing in Singapore, his luxury is the immense security and autonomy derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to leveraging technology to build a digital ecosystem across emerging markets and his profound commitment to Singaporean football.