Who is the founder and CEO of Didi Chuxing?

Cheng Wei is the founder and CEO of Didi Chuxing.

Cheng founded Beijing Xiaoju Technology in 2012 after spending years at Alibaba and Alipay. The company launched Didi Dache, an app that let users request licensed taxis through a smartphone. Its name roughly evokes the sound of a vehicle horn and a taxi call, reflecting the service’s original focus on taxi-hailing rather than the broader mobility platform it later became.

In 2015, Didi Dache merged with rival Kuaidi Dache and adopted the name Didi Kuaidi before becoming Didi Chuxing. The company expanded into private-car rides, buses, bike sharing, vehicle services, and international markets. In 2016, it acquired Uber’s Chinese operations in a major reshaping of China’s ride-hailing industry.

The main potential confusion is leadership: Jean Liu, also known as Liu Qing, became a prominent president and executive, but Cheng Wei is the company’s founder and chief executive. Travis Kalanick founded Uber, while Dara Khosrowshahi later became Uber’s CEO.