GZERO AI
DeepSeek says no to outside investment — for now
Liang Wenfeng, founder of startup DeepSeek, delivers a speech at the 10th China Private Equity Golden Bull Awards in 2019 in Shanghai, China.
VCG/VCG via Reuters
March 11, 2025
DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng has shrugged off hungry requests to invest in the Chinese artificial intelligence startup, according to a Monday report in the Wall Street Journal.
The company’s AI models are open-source and free to use, and Liang is reportedly hesitant to take any outside investment that could change that.
The chatbot company has amassed millions of users while drawing scrutiny from global regulators concerned about a Chinese company handling sensitive user data. Chinese tech giants Tencent and Alibaba are among those that have tried to invest in DeepSeek. The company is effectively controlled by Liang through his hedge fund High-Flyer, though the hedge fund spun off DeepSeek as an independent company when it was created in 2023.
For now, DeepSeek will continue to fly solo. But with pressure from investors, who knows how long Liang will be willing to hold on to the enterprise by himself?
More For You
Most Popular
With the US leading production and China driving new reactor development, Bank of America breaks down the who, what, where, when, and why behind nuclear’s return. Stay ahead of global energy trends with Bank of America Institute.
Chris, an Army veteran, started his Walmart journey over 25 years ago as an hourly associate. Today, he manages a Distribution Center and serves as a mentor, helping others navigate their own paths to success. At Walmart, associates have the opportunity to take advantage of the pathways, perks, and pay that come with the job — with or without a college degree. In fact, more than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates. Learn more about how over 130,000 associates were promoted into roles of greater responsibility and higher pay in FY25.
Last week, at the Munich Security Conference, a group of global technology providers, including Microsoft, announced the Trusted Tech Alliance — committed to shared, verifiable principles for trusted, transparent, and resilient technology across borders. At a moment of economic volatility and zero-sum technological competition, countries and customers are demanding greater accountability from technology providers. The Alliance addresses this by bringing together companies from across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America around shared commitments: transparent governance, secure development practices, supply chain oversight, open digital ecosystem, and respect for the rule of law — ensuring the benefits of emerging technologies strengthen public trust while driving job creation and economic growth. Explore the Trusted Tech Alliance here.
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.