Forrest Li is a Chinese-born Singaporean entrepreneur who has taken the Southeast Asian gaming world by storm. Born in 1971, Li grew up in China and moved to Singapore for his studies. After obtaining his degree in engineering, he dabbled in various jobs before finding his true passion in the world of gaming.
In 2009, Li founded Garena, a digital entertainment platform that provides a variety of services to millions of users in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Garena’s flagship game, “Free Fire,” has become one of the most popular mobile battle royale games in the world, with over 80 million daily active users. Li’s vision for Garena was to create a platform that not only offers gaming experiences but also serves as a social platform for gamers to connect and interact.
Despite facing competition from other established gaming companies, Li’s strategic moves and innovative ideas have propelled Garena to become a leading player in the gaming industry. In 2017, Garena rebranded itself as Sea Limited and went public on the New York Stock Exchange, becoming the first Southeast Asian tech company to do so. Today, Li’s net worth is estimated to be over $20 billion, making him one of the richest people in Singapore.
But Li’s success isn’t just measured by his