SharkNinja’s Billionaire Chinese Backer on Building an American Success Story
In his first international media interview, SharkNinja chairman CJ Wang discusses the company’s rise at a time of growing U.S.-China tensions.
CJ Wang's humble beginnings are evident in the stone mill for grinding soybeans that graces his Hong Kong penthouse office. His roots trace back to Yantai city in China's eastern Shandong province, where he grew up during Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution and learned the value of hard work by churning soymilk with his uncle's giant stone mill.
Wang obtained a degree in electrical engineering from Beijing Jiaotong University and initially followed in his parents' footsteps by becoming a teacher. However, he yearned for a bigger challenge and carved his own path when Chinese reformer Deng Xiaoping's market liberalization unleashed an entrepreneurial spirit across the People's Republic.
In 1994, Wang quit his job and invented the world's first automatic soymilk maker, which became a household name in China through his company Joyoung. Joyoung soon produced a wide range of consumer products, from blenders to rice cookers. Wang's most recent venture, SharkNinja, acquired in 2017, has transformed the Massachusetts-based firm into a $26 billion trailblazer for disruptive household appliances.
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