Zhang Lei (born 1972) is a Chinese investor and philanthropist. He is the founder and chairman of Hillhouse Investment, an Asia-focused private equity firm.
Early life and education
Zhang was born in 1972 in Zhumadian, a city in Henan province, central China. He received a scholarship to Renmin University of China, where he received a bachelor's degree in economics in 1994.[1]
In 1999, Lei took a class taught by David F. Swensen, who was the chief investment officer of the Yale Endowment.[1] Swensen became a mentor to Lei, leading to Lei interning at the Yale Endowment, his first position in finance.[1] During his studies, Lei interned at the Yale University Endowment.[1]