Young entrepreneurs might be surprised to learn about the humble upbringing of Richard Liu Qiangdong.

He is the creator of the e-commerce powerhouse JD.com. He started the operation in the early 2000s.

Qiangdong’s rise to success did not begin in an urban setting with all the modern utilities that most of us take for granted. Liu’s family lived in a small city in China. The rural town did not have power or running water.

This might be shocking to imagine at first. People often wonder why anyone would choose to live in such a harsh environment, but the region was not always considered rural. His village used to be a hub of activity and a major stop for transporters.

Richard Liu developed the ability to adapt and survive in this small town. While his parents worked, he helped his grandmother. At a young age, he learned the art of negotiating by going with his grandmother to the market. She taught him how to trade and haggle with the vendors.

It was not long before Liu ended up in a city. During a school field trip, Liu Qiangdong discovered the many luxuries of modern society. This realization sparked a desire in him, and he wanted to see the world. He knew he would need to expand himself, so he entered college.

It was quite a feat for him to make it to a university, but using the skills he learned while surviving and thriving in the village, he was able to save enough to take a train to Beijing and start school.

At Renmin University, Richard Liu learned about computers. Qiangdong branched out into sales and started a small brick-and-mortar shop in the town of Zhongguancun. Once again, his haggling skills came in handy. He skillfully handled customers and began to develop a trustworthy operation, which became the base of JD.com.

Today JD.com is an internet giant in the e-commerce world. The company is also traded on NASDAQ.

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More about Richard Liu on https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/06/jdcom-appoints-new-president-founder-to-focus-on-long-term-strategy.html