Born into a poor family in Fujian, China, he moved to Sarawak in childhood and then to Indonesia, where he founded the Djanjanti Group and turned it into the second largest timber company in the country.
Lahir dalam keluarga miskin di Fujian, China, ia pindah ke Sarawak pada masa kecil dan kemudian ke Indonesia, dimana ia mendirikan Djanjanti Group dan menjadi perusahaan kayu terbesar kedua di negara tersebut.