In 2019, Chen Tianshi was a long way from becoming one of the wealthiest people on the planet.
His three-year-old artificial-intelligence chip startup’s largest customer, Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co., had abruptly cut off almost all business in favor of developing its own semiconductors. Until then, Huawei had been the source of over 95% of the company’s revenue.
But then he caught a break from an unexpected source. The U.S. decision to cut off China’s access to cutting-edge chips and Beijing’s determination to foster homegrown technology ultimately created a halo of state sponsorship and a vast protected market for the computer prodigy’s company, which propelled him to become one of the world’s richest self-made billionaires.
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