Leaf Hua Li

Leaf Hua Li
李华
Born1977 (age 48–49)
Loudi, Hunan, China
EducationHunan University
OccupationEntrepreneur
TitleFounder, chairman and chief executive officer of Futu

Leaf Hua Li (Chinese: 李华; pinyin: Lǐ Huá; born 1977), also known as Leaf Li, is a Chinese entrepreneur and business executive. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Futu Holdings, which operates the Futubull and Moomoo online investment platforms.[1] Before founding Futu, Li was an early employee of Tencent, where he participated in the early development of QQ and helped found Tencent Video.[2][3]

Early life and education

Li was born in 1977 in Loudi, Hunan.[2] He entered Hunan University in 1995, where he studied electronics and computer-related subjects, and graduated in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in computer science.[2][4][a][5]

Career

Tencent

Li joined Tencent in 2000 as the company's first graduate hire and employee number 18. He worked in marketing, operations, research and development, and product management, and participated in the early development of QQ.[2]

During his time at Tencent, Li was credited with 23 Chinese and international patents. He later helped found Tencent Video and led its product design and development.[3] Before leaving Tencent, Li headed the company's innovation centre, where he was responsible for incubating new businesses.[2]

Futu and Moomoo

Li began investing in Hong Kong-listed shares after Tencent's listing in 2004. His frustration with brokerage services and trading software that he regarded as cumbersome and unreliable led him to develop his own online trading platform.[4][6] Li left Tencent in 2008 and established Futu as an online brokerage in 2012. Tencent became one of the company's earliest investors.[6] Futu listed on the Nasdaq on 8 March 2019.[7]

Futu launched Moomoo as its international trading platform. Moomoo entered the United States market in 2018.[8] It later expanded to Singapore, Australia, Japan, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand.[9]

In May 2026, the China Securities Regulatory Commission issued a pre-notification of administrative penalties against several Futu entities, alleging that they had provided securities, public-fund sales and futures services in mainland China without the required licences or approval.[10][11] The regulator proposed confiscations and fines totalling approximately 1.85 billion yuan against the related entities and a personal fine of 1.25 million yuan against Leaf Li.[12][11] Following the announcement, Futu's Nasdaq-listed shares fell by nearly 28 per cent, their lowest level in thirteen months.[13]

In July 2026, Forbes estimated Leaf Li's net worth at US$5.1 billion.[1]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Hunan University Alumni Association identifies Li as a member of the university's 1996 computer science cohort.

References

  1. 1 2 "Li Hua". Forbes. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 腾讯18号员工的14年跨界：富途的来路与险途 [Tencent's 18th employee and his fourteen-year transition: Futu's origins and difficult path]. Caixin Data (in Chinese). 23 July 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026 – via Sina Finance.
  3. 1 2 Huang, Jingsi (11 October 2021). 罕见券商CEO为网络故障致歉！2000字长文“道歉并感谢”，回应补偿、系统容灾等三大关键问题 [Brokerage CEO apologises after network failure and addresses compensation and system resilience]. Cailian Press (in Chinese). Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 Wang, Yue (20 November 2020). "Chinese Fintech Mogul's Wealth Soars 460% As Investors Flock To His Site". Forbes. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  5. ↑ 湖南大学上海校友会分会联合成立暨湖南大学2024沪上麓山财经论坛举行 [Hunan University Shanghai alumni branches established and 2024 Shanghai Lushan Finance Forum held] (in Chinese). Hunan University Alumni Association. 16 December 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 Ouyang, Iris (20 February 2021). "Tencent alumnus aims to turn Futu into China's Charles Schwab, even as it lands in Robinhood's 'Nerd vs Wall Street' battle". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 24 August 2026 – via Yahoo Finance.
  7. ↑ Li, Meiling (9 March 2019). 腾讯系券商富途上市首日最高涨幅超40%，CEO李华：未来或增加广告等其他收入渠道 [Tencent-backed brokerage Futu rises more than 40 per cent on its first day of trading]. Jiemian News (in Chinese). Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Flannery, Russell (26 September 2023). "Influencers Stock Moe And Kenan Grace Help Moomoo Gain In Crowded U.S. Online Brokerage Market". Forbes. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  9. ↑ Mitchell, Sean (9 June 2025). "Moomoo launches in New Zealand, offering US trades from USD $0.99". FutureFive New Zealand. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "China to crack down on 'illegal' cross-border securities". Reuters. 22 May 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 证监会严肃查处老虎等机构非法跨境展业案件 [CSRC investigates illegal cross-border operations by Tiger and other institutions] (in Chinese). China Securities Regulatory Commission. 22 May 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  12. ↑ 最新披露：富途控股拟被罚18.5亿元，股价下跌25%；老虎证券被罚没超4亿元，股价下跌19％ [Futu faces proposed 1.85 billion yuan penalty as its shares fall]. National Business Daily (in Chinese). 22 May 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  13. ↑ Flannery, Russell (24 May 2026). "Moomoo Parent Futu's Nasdaq Shares Plunge Nearly 28% on China Probe". Forbes. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
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