Huang Daifang: Starting with 20,000 yuan, from the brink of bankruptcy to annual revenue of 10 billion yuan, this Jiangxi boss is extraordinary!

Questioning AI · How does acquiring an old state-owned enterprise demonstrate corporate responsibility and innovation?

Source: Zhenghe Island (ID: zhenghedao)

Today, I’d like to introduce a familiar friend you may have heard of. At last year’s private enterprise symposium, he sat in the front row alongside well-known entrepreneurs like Ren Zhengfei, Jack Ma, and Lei Jun.

Yes, he is Huang Daifang, founder of Taihao Group and Honorary Chairman of Zhenghe Island in Jiangxi. He has been on the island for 13 years.

He is a “words are secondary to actions” Tsinghua graduate. After graduating from Tsinghua’s Department of Automotive Engineering in 1986, he didn’t stay in Beijing but responded to the call to return to his hometown in Jiangxi. Two years later, with 20,000 yuan, he started his business—38 years ago.

Many ask him why he returned to Jiangxi. Perhaps because, on the Tsinghua campus, towering trees grow on both sides, and he felt he should also grow tall—take root and reach upward.

He named his company “Taihao,” with the English name “TELLHOW,” meaning “telling you how to do it.” Through hard work and dedication, he built a small company into Jiangxi’s first private listed company.

In 1998, he made a bold decision: to acquire the struggling old military enterprise Jiangxi Sanbo Electric Motor Factory. At the time, the entire company opposed it, fearing it would drag them down. He said that for a business to succeed long-term, it must tie itself to the needs of the country.

As a result, he used private mechanisms to revitalize the old state-owned enterprise, not only bringing the factory back to life but also achieving domestic replacement of key equipment. This act was later praised by provincial leaders as a model of “small fast fish eating big slow fish.”

He often says: “Personal success lies in fulfilling responsibilities; the value of life is in continuously taking on responsibilities.”

He has a characteristic when doing business: focus. From early on with “mouse + industry application” (24 years before “Internet +”), to later smart electricity, military equipment, and smart cities, for 38 years he has been centered on information technology.

He also cares about talent. In 2008, he established Jiangxi Taihao Animation Vocational College, and later collaborated with Guizhou University to promote industry-education integration. When asked why he started a school, he said, “Rather than waiting for talent, it’s better to cultivate it yourself.”

Now, at 63, he’s still pushing forward. He leads his team in “AI + military industry,” advancing management AI, manufacturing AI, and product AI. He says AI is a tool—if you know how to use it, it’s helpful; if not, it can lead to layoffs.

Starting with 20,000 yuan and growing to over 10 billion yuan in annual revenue, from IT services to military equipment, from acquiring an old state enterprise at 31 to developing AI at 62—this young man who returned to Jiangxi from Tsinghua has never left this land in 38 years, nor stopped moving forward.

He carries China Taihao onward.

After reading his story, what would you like to say? Feel free to share in the comments.