star companies

AI investing

2026-09-01 06:57:00

Yi Lihua Says AI's Early Boom Demands Focus on Star Firms

Yi Lihua, founder of Liquid Capital, said in a post on X that investors should avoid spreading capital thinly and instead concentrate on the minority of star companies capable of generating outsized returns. He cited Duan Yongping's 2002 investment of $2 million in NetEase stock, which traded at under $1 and later delivered more than $260 million in profit over eight years, a return exceeding 100 times. Yi compared the current AI cycle to the early stage of crypto a decade ago, when holding BTC or backing quality projects produced numerous 100x outcomes. He sees AI as being at an early explosive phase, with many potential targets across both Chinese and U.S. markets, and said the priority now is to capture the most powerful star companies in this AI wave.

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AI

2026-09-01 06:53:41

Liquid Capital's Yili Hua: AI Investing Mirrors Early Crypto, Focus on Explosive Stars

Yili Hua, founder of Liquid Capital, said on Sept. 1 that AI investing today resembles the early days of crypto a decade ago, when holding BTC or backing quality projects produced a wave of 100x returns. He argued that investing is not about casting a wide net but identifying the few star companies capable of outsized returns. As an example, he cited Duan Yongping's first major trade after moving from entrepreneur to investor: in 2002, Duan put $2 million into NetEase when its share price was below $1, held for eight years, and turned it into a gain of over 100 times — more than $260 million. Hua said every technological revolution carries abundant excess-return opportunities, and AI is still in the early explosive phase, with potential targets across both Chinese and U.S. markets. His core point: the goal of AI investing now is to catch the most explosive star companies of this wave.

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