Wang Xing
王兴
Founder and CEO of Meituan, serial entrepreneur known for creating Xiaonei (China's Facebook) and Fanfou (China's Twitter)
Biography
Wang Xing, born on February 18, 1979, in Longyan, Fujian, is one of China's most renowned and resilient serial entrepreneurs. He is the founder and CEO of Meituan, a leading e-commerce platform for services. Before his success with Meituan, Wang Xing was famous for creating Xiaonei Network (the "Facebook of China") and Fanfou (the "Twitter of China").
Educated at China's prestigious Tsinghua University and later at the University of Delaware in the US, Wang Xing dropped out of his Ph.D. program in 2003 to return to China and dive into the burgeoning social media scene. His journey was marked by a series of ventures—some successful, some shut down—that earned him a reputation as a relentless innovator who was often ahead of his time.
In 2010, inspired by Groupon, he founded Meituan, a group-buying website. He successfully navigated the brutal "Thousand Groupon War," a period of intense competition, and emerged as a dominant player. Through strategic mergers and aggressive expansion into food delivery and other local services, he built Meituan into a multi-billion dollar "super-app" that serves hundreds of millions of users for everything from ordering food to booking hotels.
Education Background
- 2001: Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University.
- 2001-2003: Attended the University of Delaware for a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering (did not complete).
Major Achievements
- 2005: Founded Xiaonei Network, which became China's most popular campus-based social network before being sold.
- 2007: Created Fanfou, China's first microblogging service, pioneering a format later popularized by Weibo.
- 2010: Founded Meituan and led it to victory in the hyper-competitive "Thousand Groupon War."
- 2015: Engineered the landmark merger between Meituan and Dianping, creating a dominant force in local services.
- 2018: Led Meituan to a successful IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising $4.2 billion.
- Transformed Meituan into a "Food + Platform" super-app, a one-stop destination for a vast array of services.
Business Philosophy
Wang Xing is known for his deep, analytical thinking and a management style rooted in logic and first principles. He is an avid reader and often references theories from business, technology, and history to guide his strategy. His philosophy centers on having "patience with strategy, but staying aggressive in execution." He believes in focusing on the long-term, relentlessly pursuing market leadership, and building a strong organizational capacity to adapt to constant change.
Innovation and Impact
Wang Xing's impact on China's internet is defined by his persistence and his ability to popularize and adapt Western internet models for the local market. While not always the first to introduce a concept, his teams have consistently out-executed competitors. He is a master of navigating complex, operationally heavy business models, particularly in the Online-to-Offline (O2O) space. His success with Meituan has fundamentally changed the urban lifestyle in China, making on-demand services an everyday reality for millions and setting a global standard for what a local services "super-app" can be.
Timeline
1979
Birth and Early Life
PersonalMedium ImpactFebruary 18, 1979
📍 Longyan, Fujian
Wang Xing was born in Longyan, Fujian province, to a family of entrepreneurs.
1997
Enrolls at Tsinghua University
EducationHigh ImpactSeptember 1997
📍 Beijing, China
Begins studying Electronic Engineering at the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing.
2001
Moves to the US for Ph.D.
EducationHigh ImpactAugust 2001
📍 Delaware, USA
After graduating from Tsinghua, he moves to the US to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering at the University of Delaware.
2003
Drops Out and Returns to China
Pivotal MomentHigh ImpactDecember 2003
📍 Beijing, China
Inspired by the social networking boom, he drops out of his Ph.D. program and returns to China to start his own company.
2005
Founds Xiaonei Network
FoundingHigh ImpactDecember 1, 2005
📍 Beijing, China
After several failed attempts, Wang Xing launches Xiaonei, a social network for university students, which becomes a huge success.
2007
Founds Fanfou
FoundingHigh ImpactMay 12, 2007
📍 Beijing, China
Wang Xing launches Fanfou, China's first microblogging site and a clone of Twitter.
2010
Founds Meituan
FoundingHigh ImpactMarch 4, 2010
📍 Beijing, China
Inspired by Groupon, Wang Xing founds Meituan, a group-buying website, entering the 'Thousand Groupon War'.
2013
Enters Food Delivery Market
Strategic TransformationHigh ImpactNovember 2013
📍 Beijing, China
Meituan launches its food delivery service, Meituan Waimai, marking a pivotal strategic expansion.
2015
Merges with Dianping
Major AchievementHigh ImpactOctober 8, 2015
📍 Beijing, China
Wang Xing orchestrates the merger of Meituan with its chief rival, Dianping, to create a dominant market leader.
2018
Meituan-Dianping IPO
IPOHigh ImpactSeptember 20, 2018
📍 Hong Kong
Wang Xing lists Meituan-Dianping on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising $4.2 billion.
2020
Enters Community Group Buying
Strategic TransformationHigh ImpactJuly 1, 2020
📍 Beijing, China
Wang Xing personally leads the charge into the fiercely competitive community group-buying sector with Meituan Select (Meituan Youxuan).
Related Stories
The 'Boundless' War Machine: Why is Wang Xing's Meituan Always 'Crossing Borders' and 'Making Enemies'?
After achieving a decisive victory in the food delivery war, Meituan did not stop its expansion. From bike-sharing to ride-hailing, from hotel booking to community group buying, Wang Xing led Meituan like a 'greedy beast,' constantly breaking into new territories and making enemies with almost all internet giants, including Didi, Ctrip, Alibaba, and Pinduoduo. What is the business logic behind Wang Xing's 'boundless' expansion strategy? Is he really just trying to 'make enemies,' or is he building a grander, more solid 'local life services' empire?
A Pioneer's Tragedy: Why Was Wang Xing's Fanfou 'Unplugged' When It Was Closest to Success?
After selling Xiaonei, Wang Xing quickly launched China's first microblogging site—Fanfou. This simple, fast, and elite product rapidly became the most intellectually active place on the Chinese internet at the time, and it seemed Wang Xing's era had finally arrived. However, in July 2009, at the height of its popularity, Fanfou was shut down without warning by regulators due to force majeure. What shock and regret did this 'sudden death' bring to Wang Xing and the Chinese internet? How did it change Wang Xing's entrepreneurial trajectory and indirectly lead to the creation of Sina Weibo?
A Life of 'Nine Defeats, One Victory': What Can We Learn from Wang Xing and His Meituan?
From dropping out of his Ph.D. program and returning to China in 2003, to 2023, Wang Xing has been fighting at the poker table of the Chinese internet for a full 20 years. He founded Xiaonei and Fanfou, and finally found success with Meituan. He has been hailed as the 'toughest loser,' the 'king of wars,' the 'boundless expander,' and also the 'most un-CEO-like CEO.' As we look back on Wang Xing's entrepreneurial history of 'nine defeats, one victory,' what kind of person is he really? And what are the most valuable lessons and experiences that he and the Meituan empire he created have left for China's entrepreneurs?
The 'Marriage' of Rivals: How Wang Xing Masterminded the Meituan-Dianping Merger to Dominate the O2O World
Before the smoke from the 'Thousand Groupon War' had even cleared, Wang Xing's Meituan was already engaged in a new round of brutal, close-quarters combat with another giant—Dianping—across multiple fronts like food delivery and movie tickets. Backed by capital, both sides engaged in a frenzied subsidy war, a war of attrition where they 'lost eight hundred soldiers to kill a thousand of the enemy's.' In 2015, brokered by investors, these two 'arch-rivals' staged a shocking merger of the century. How did Wang Xing come out on top in this complex game of capital and personnel struggles to ultimately become the CEO of the new company? And how did this merger forever change the landscape of China's O2O (Online-to-Offline) market?
Rise of the 'Food Delivery' Empire: How Wang Xing's Meituan Won the Cruelest 'Ground War' in History with 'Strong Execution'
After merging with Dianping, Wang Xing set his sights on 'food delivery' as the company's next main battlefield. This was a track that was 'heavier,' 'harder,' and demanded higher offline operational capabilities than group buying. Here, Meituan encountered its toughest opponent—Ele.me, backed by Alibaba. To compete for the market, both sides invested tens of billions of yuan and hundreds of thousands of ground promotion staff in a 'pixel-level' war. How was Meituan's 'Iron Army' of ground promoters forged? And how did Wang Xing inject the gene of 'operational efficiency' into this vast and complex system?
From 'Bleeding' to 'Listing': How Did Wang Xing's Meituan Go Public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Amidst Massive Losses?
In 2018, after 8 years of operation, Meituan finally reached the 'bell-ringing' moment of its IPO. However, upon opening its prospectus, people were surprised to find that this 'super unicorn' was still suffering huge losses. How did Wang Xing tell the capital market the 'future' story of a 'loss-making' company? And why did he insist on pushing the company to go public at that 'bleeding' moment? What did listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange mean for Meituan and Wang Xing?
Survivor of the 'Thousand Groupon War': How Did Wang Xing's Meituan Carve a Path Through a Bloodbath of 'Cash Burning'?
In 2010, armed with lessons from Fanfou's failure, Wang Xing plunged into the most frenzied and brutal 'Thousand Groupon War' in the Chinese internet's history. Thousands of group-buying sites, fueled by capital, engaged in hand-to-hand combat with frantic advertising and offline sales pushes. Yet, under the dual pressure of giants and capital, Wang Xing's Meituan ultimately prevailed by being the 'last one standing,' thanks to its extreme cost control and obsessive pursuit of operational efficiency. How did Wang Xing stay clear-headed in this unprecedented 'cash-burning' war? And how did he use the weapon of 'scientific management' to defeat seemingly more powerful opponents?
The Next 'Battlefield': Why Did Wang Xing Personally Lead Meituan to Go 'All In' on Community Group Buying?
In 2020, when Meituan's business seemed to be 'all-encompassing,' Wang Xing turned his attention to an older and more 'grassroots' market—community group buying. He not only elevated it to a 'top-level strategy' but also personally led the charge, investing unlimited resources to engage in a new 'battle of kings' with giants like Alibaba and Pinduoduo. Why did this seemingly 'vegetable-selling' business become a 'once-in-a-decade' opportunity in Wang Xing's eyes? What new challenges and opportunities will Wang Xing and his Meituan face in this new war?
Wang Xing the 'Deep Thinker': The Business Philosophy of a 'Reading Machine' and a Believer in 'First Principles'
Wang Xing is the most 'scholarly' of China's internet CEOs. He is an avid reader, always speaks of 'first principles,' and likes to analyze business competition through the frameworks of 'history' and 'physics.' How was this unique 'deep thinking' model formed? And how did he apply the 'theories' learned from books to the brutal 'real battles' of Meituan? From 'Finite and Infinite Games' to 'Antifragile,' what 'key' does Wang Xing's 'reading list' provide for us to understand Meituan's strategy?
The 'Nine Defeats, One Victory' Entrepreneur: How Wang Xing and His Fanfou, Xiaonei Forged the 'Toughest Loser'
Before founding Meituan, Wang Xing was a 'startup machine' who repeatedly failed. From social networks 'Duoduoyou' to 'Youzitu', and later the renowned Xiaonei and Fanfou, he was among the first in China to see the social media wave. Yet, he was always forced to exit for various reasons just one step away from success. How did these consecutive failures shape Wang Xing's resilient character and his profound understanding of business? What precious lessons leading to his 'one victory' did this entrepreneur, hailed as the 'toughest loser,' learn from his 'nine defeats'?
The Birth and Loss of 'China's Facebook': How Wang Xing Ignited Campus Social Networking but Was Forced to Sell His 'Own Child,' Xiaonei
In 2005, after multiple failures, Wang Xing accurately identified the social networking trend on university campuses and founded China's first 'Facebook-style' website—Xiaonei. The product instantly took the campus scene by storm with viral user growth. However, this seemingly perfect start quickly hit a dead end due to a fatal problem: a lack of money. How did Wang Xing see the huge potential in campus social networking? In an era when capital wasn't as frenzied, what harsh realities did a 'phenomenal' product with no revenue face? What pain and reflection did selling Xiaonei ultimately bring to Wang Xing?