Forrest Li, born in Tianjin and now based in Singapore, transformed a passion for gaming into one of Southeast Asia’s most powerful technology empires. In 2009, he and his co‑founders launched Garena, a gaming platform that dominated the regional esports scene. Profits from Garena fueled the rapid growth of Shopee, which launched in 2015 and swiftly became the region’s leading e-commerce platform. Today, Shopee is a household name across Southeast Asia and Latin America, while Sea Group’s financial arm, SeaMoney, serves over 50 million users with payments, lending, and more.
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Under Li’s stewardship, Sea Group became Southeast Asia’s first tech unicorn to go public on the NYSE in 2017 and posted its first annual profit in 2023—solidifying its role as a foundational digital infrastructure provider in the region . Li has also championed education and tech innovation in Singapore by donating S$50 million to the National University of Singapore’s computing school and funding training for thousands of local tech professionals .
A football enthusiast, Li has uniquely blended passion with purpose—acquiring the Lion City Sailors Premier League club and, in 2025, being elected president of the Football Association of Singapore. He has committed to developing youth football pathways and expanding local talent pipelines.
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Forrest Li’s journey from cybercafés in Shanghai to global boardrooms in Singapore showcases his visionary approach: build platforms people love, empower communities through digital access, and champion social impact. As Sea Group continues to shape e-commerce, gaming, finance, and sports, Li stands out as a transformational leader poised to define the next chapter of Asian tech innovation.
