Early Life
Born in 1952 in Yongning Ziying Village, Shishi City, Fujian Province, China, Yin Yee Lee, also known as Li Xianyi, comes from a humble background. Limited information is available about his early life, as he has maintained a private personal life. He left school at the age of 15 to support his family.
Rise to Success
In the early 1980s, Lee moved to Hong Kong to begin his business career. He started with a small auto parts company. Through keen business acumen and relentless efforts, he gained prominence in Hong Kong's business circles. In 1985, he established XinYi Group (Glass) Co., Ltd., focusing on automobile glass. Lee later founded Xinyi Group in Henggang, Shenzhen, producing safety glass for automotive, construction, and bulletproof applications. By 2009, his enterprise ranked third globally, exporting products to North America, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East. Xinyi Glass was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2005. In 2022, Lee was listed on the Forbes Billionaires List with a net worth of $4.2 billion.
Key Business Strategies
Lee expanded his enterprise through acquisitions, including Shenzhen Nanshan Automobile Glass Company, which promoted industry consolidation. He promoted new low-emission coating glass to address global warming challenges. When the United States imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese exports of automobile windshields in 2001, Lee responded to the lawsuit and successfully defended against it, enhancing the reputation of Chinese companies in the industry.
Philanthropy
Lee has made significant contributions to social welfare, donating over 81 million yuan to support education and public safety over the years. He established the LEE Yin Yee Education Foundation as early as 1993, focusing on education grants and scholarships. A research building at CUHK-Shenzhen was named the "LEE Yin Yee Building" in recognition of his contributions.