BUSINESS

Li Auto Chairman Tops Hong Kong Pay List With $90 Million Package

Published: Oct. 14, 2025 7:10 p.m. GMT+8, Updated: Oct. 14, 2025 7:10 p.m.

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Li Auto Inc. Chairman Li Xiang. Photo: VCG

Li Auto Inc. Chairman Li Xiang topped the list of the highest-paid directors at Hong Kong-listed companies last year, with a total compensation package of 639 million yuan ($90 million), according to a ranking published Sunday.

The vast majority of his pay — 636 million yuan — was in share-based awards, with a base salary and benefits of just 2.7 million yuan, according to the annual list compiled by Webb-site, a public data disclosure platform founded by financial investor David Webb.

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Li Auto’s Li Xiang was the highest-paid director at Hong Kong-listed firms in 2023, receiving 639 million yuan ($90 million), mostly in share-based awards.
The top earners' compensation was largely non-cash and performance-based, a common practice among technology and EV firms.
28 directors earned over 100 million yuan amid a 17% rise in the Hang Seng Index; mainland Chinese entrepreneurs dominated the top ranks.

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Who’s Who

Li Auto Inc.: Li Auto Inc. is a Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) startup. Its chairman, Li Xiang, was the highest-paid director at Hong Kong-listed companies last year, primarily due to share-based awards. The company was the first major Chinese EV startup to achieve a full year of profitability. However, its growth has recently slowed, with a revenue decrease and modest delivery growth in the second quarter.

JS Global Lifestyle Co. Ltd.: Wang Xuning, chairman of JS Global Lifestyle Co. Ltd., was the second highest-paid director at Hong Kong-listed companies last year. He received a total compensation of 489 million yuan.

J&T Global Express Ltd.: Jet Li, the chairman of J&T Global Express Ltd., ranked third among the highest-paid directors at Hong Kong-listed companies. His total compensation package was 487 million yuan, as per a ranking published recently.

JD.com Inc.: Richard Liu, Chairman of JD.com Inc., ranked fourth on the list of highest-paid directors at Hong Kong-listed companies in 2024, with 420 million yuan in compensation. This pay, mostly in equity awards, dropped by over 200 million yuan from the previous year. This decline was due to intense e-commerce competition and weak consumer spending, which led to a slump in JD.com's stock.

KE Holdings Inc.: KE Holdings Inc., which operates the Beike property platform (贝壳找房), saw its chairman Peng Yongdong's rank drop from first in 2023 to fifth last year on the list of highest-paid directors at Hong Kong-listed companies. His compensation fell from 713 million yuan to 400 million yuan.

Melco International Development Ltd.: Melco International Development Ltd. is a company whose chairman, Lawrence Ho, ranked 10th on the list of highest-paid directors at Hong Kong-listed companies. His compensation amounted to 200 million yuan, making him the sole exception in the top 10 who is not an entrepreneur with a mainland Chinese background.

AI generated, for reference only