Zhou Qunfei facts for kids

Zhou Qunfei (Chinese: 周群飞; born in 1970) is a very successful Chinese businesswoman. She started a big company called Lens Technology. This company makes touchscreens for many of the phones and devices you use every day. In 2015, her company became public, and she became the richest woman in China. By 2018, she was known as the world's richest woman who built her own fortune. She is also one of the wealthiest women in the technology world.

Early Life and Education

Zhou Qunfei was born in 1970 in a place called Xiangxiang, in Hunan province, China. She grew up in a very poor family and was the youngest of three children. Her father had an accident before she was born, which affected his sight and hand. Even so, he was a skilled craftsman. He made things like bamboo baskets and repaired bicycles to support the family. Zhou's mother passed away when Zhou was only five years old.

As a child, Zhou helped her family by raising animals. This helped them have food and earn a little money. She was the only one of her brothers and sisters who went to secondary school. She was a bright student, but she had to leave school at age 16. She then moved to Shenzhen to live with her uncle's family. Shenzhen is a special economic zone in Guangdong province, known for its factories. Zhou became a migrant worker there.

Even though she worked, Zhou wanted to keep learning. She chose jobs near Shenzhen University so she could take classes part-time. She studied many different subjects. She even passed exams to become certified in things like accounting and computer operations. She also learned how to drive commercial vehicles.

Starting Her Career

Zhou Qunfei first dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. However, she found a job at a small family company that made parts for watches. She earned about 180 yuan a month. She wasn't happy with the working conditions. After three months, she decided to quit. She wrote a letter explaining why she was leaving but also thanked them for the chance to work. The factory boss was so impressed by her letter that he offered her a promotion instead.

Later, when that factory closed, Zhou decided to start her own business. She was only 22 years old in 1993. She used her savings of about HK$20,000 (which was around US$3,000). Her cousin encouraged her to take this big step. Her new company started in a three-bedroom apartment. Her brother, sister, their spouses, and two cousins all worked together. They focused on making higher-quality watch lenses. Zhou was very involved in every part of the business. She even helped with repairs and made better designs for the factory machines.

In 2001, she got a huge opportunity. Her company won a big contract to make screens for mobile phones. This was for a large Chinese electronics company called TCL Corporation. This was a major turning point for her business.

Founding Lens Technology

In 2003, while still making watch faces, Zhou's company received an important request. Motorola asked them to create glass screens for their Razr V3 phone. At that time, phone companies were starting to switch from plastic screens to glass ones.

After this, Zhou Qunfei started a new company called Lens Technology in 2003. She chose the name "Lens" so that people searching for "lens" online would find her company. Soon, other phone makers like HTC, Nokia, and Samsung Electronics started ordering touchscreens from her.

A very big moment came in 2007. Lens Technology began making touchscreens for Apple's first iPhone. This helped Lens Technology become a leader in the industry. Today, Lens Technology mainly provides touchscreens to top electronics companies. These include Apple, Samsung, and Huawei. A large part of their income comes from Apple and Samsung. Even the Apple Watch uses glass and sapphire crystal screens made by her company.

As of 2017, Lens Technology employed about 90,000 people. The company was expected to produce more than a billion glass screens. They have 32 different factory locations.

On March 18, 2015, Lens Technology started trading on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. This was 22 years after Zhou started her very first company. The company's stock price went up a lot, making it China's biggest technology stock launch in early 2015.

Amazing Achievements

When Lens Technology became public in 2015, Zhou Qunfei's wealth grew incredibly fast. She owned most of the company's shares. This made her the richest woman in China, taking the title from Chen Lihua. She is also known as the world's richest self-made woman. This means she built her fortune herself, starting from nothing. She is also one of the wealthiest women in the technology world.

Zhou Qunfei has been recognized on many important lists. For example, Forbes magazine has listed her among the most powerful women and billionaires. Fortune magazine also ranked her among the most powerful women in Asia-Pacific. Her story is a great example of how hard work and learning can lead to amazing success.

Personal Life

Zhou Qunfei was married before and had a daughter. In 2008, she married Zheng Junlong. He was a colleague from one of her factories. As of 2015, he was on the board of Lens Technology. They have a son who lives with them in their home in Hong Kong.

Zhou has said that she loves her work so much that it feels like a hobby. But she also enjoys other activities. She likes mountain climbing and playing ping pong.

Zhou Qunfei's journey from a poor background to becoming a very rich and successful businesswoman has inspired many people. She is a role model for millions of workers in China. In an interview, she shared that the secret to her success was her strong desire to learn new things.

See also

In Spanish: Zhou Qunfei para niños