G ao Jifan is a Chinese billionaire and the chairman of Trina Solar, one of the world's largest and most important manufacturers of solar panels. A former university researcher, he founded the company in 1997 and has built it into a global powerhouse in the renewable energy industry. He is a key figure in the rise of China's dominance in solar manufacturing.

Under his leadership, Trina Solar has become a leader in solar technology and large-scale manufacturing, producing billions of dollars worth of photovoltaic (PV) modules that are shipped to solar projects around the world. The company was previously listed on the New York Stock Exchange but was taken private by Gao and a group of investors. It was later relisted on Shanghai's STAR Market. His success is directly tied to the explosive global growth of the solar power industry.