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Ding Lei

Founder and CEO, NetEase · China

✓ Verified current role· as of 2026-09-28

Ding Lei is the CEO of NetEase (NTES). Lei is based in China. Lei was born in 1971 in Ningbo and educated at University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.

Born October 1, 1971, Ding Lei founded NetEase in 1997 with two friends and $60,000. Under his leadership, NetEase evolved from China's first free email service into a major internet giant with businesses in online gaming, music streaming, e-commerce, and other services.

Recent developments

AI summary of recent coverage

Recent coverage of Ding Lei has touched on NetEase's strategic approach to game development, including the company's willingness to cancel titles that fail to meet player expectations. Earlier headlines documented Ding Lei's reduction in corporate duties at gaming subsidiaries during 2022, a period when Chinese tech executives faced increased regulatory scrutiny from authorities.

Summarized from the headlines below; see each source for the full story.

Born
October 1, 1971 · Ningbo
Citizenship
People's Republic of China
Education
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Our coverage

On CEOInsider

No feature yet. When we publish a feature, interview or cover story on Ding Lei, it will appear here — and tie into the news timeline.

Ding Lei: FAQ

Who is Ding Lei?
Ding Lei is the Founder and CEO of NetEase, based in China.
What company does Ding Lei lead?
Ding Lei is CEO of NetEase.
Where was Ding Lei educated?
Ding Lei studied at University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.