China’s economic rise and influence has been one of the most significant developments in the global economy of recent times. A driving force behind this expansion has been the private entrepreneurs and companies of China, some of which have literally redefined the economic and business landscape, both inside and outside of China.

In 2000, Robin (Yanhong) Li founded Baidu and turned the company into the largest Chinese search engine (with over 80% market share by search query) and the world’s second largest search engine. In 2005, Baidu completed its IPO on NASDAQ, and in 2007 became the first Chinese company to be included in the NASDAQ-100 Index. This book is the story of the rise of Robin Li and Baidu, which is integral to the story of China’s vast internet economy.