Early Life
Ding Shizhong was born in 1970 into a Muslim family in Quanzhou, China. At a young age, he began working to help his family financially. His father was a shoe manufacturer. At age 16, Ding started reselling shoes.
Rise to Success
Ding Shizhong founded Anta Sports in 1991. Anta Sports was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2007. Anta signed table tennis player Kong Linghui as a spokesman in 1999. Anta's marketing around the Sydney Olympics in 2000 helped gain widespread brand recognition. The company acquired the Fila trademark in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao in 2009. In 2019, Anta expanded its brands by purchasing the Finnish company Amer Sports, which owned well-known brands such as Salomon and Arc'teryx.
Key Business Strategies
Key to Ding's success has been the strategic acquisitions of other brands, which helped the company's growth. Anta's focus on multi-brand strategy expanded its market reach. Sponsorship of sporting events and athletes helped increase brand visibility. In 2024 Anta Sports and Kyrie Irving launched their first sneaker together.
Philanthropy
Ding Shizhong and his family have been involved in philanthropy. In December 2021, the family committed shares worth $1.2 billion to charity.