Justin Sun
Summary
Sun Yuchen, also known as H.E. Justin Sun, was born in July 1990 in Xining, China. Now in his early 30s, he has already launched, acquired, and advised a number of high-profile technology companies poised to change the future of global commerce and community.
He served as Grenada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) until early 2023 and is on the Global Advisory Board for Huobi.
Biography
Sun was born in 1990. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in history from Peking University and a Master of Arts degree in East Asian studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
At University of Pennsylvania Sun became interested in cryptocurrency and invested early in bitcoin. He studied at Jack Ma's Zhejiang Hupan Entrepreneurship Research Center. He became the cover figure of Yazhou Zhoukan in 2011 and a Davos Global Shaper in 2014.
In late 2013, Sun joined Ripple Labs as chief representative and adviser. In 2014, he founded Peiwo, a Chinese voice-based social networking app. He was named CNTV's most noteworthy new entrepreneur in 2015 and was included in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list from 2015 to 2017.
Sun founded the blockchain-based operating platform Tron and launched the TRX token in 2017. In September 2017 his company Tron held an initial coin offering (ICO) for the TRN token, a few days before the Chinese government banned ICOs. Tron raised about $70 million at its ICO.
Sun acquired Rainberry, Inc., which develops the BitTorrent peer-to-peer communication protocol, in June 2018. During his tenure leading BitTorrent as CEO, the BitTorrent network launched its own utility token, BTT.
In 2018, Sun acquired the company BitTorrent, Inc (later renamed Rainberry) for $140 million. Sun later acquired the crypto exchange Poloniex. Sometime between 2018 and 2020, Sun acquired a Maltese residency card as a result of investing in the country.
In October 2021, Sun participated in a $65 million funding round in Hong Kong-based Animoca, a maker of crypto and blockchain video games such as The Sandbox.
Diplomatic Work
Sun was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Grenada to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2021. As a result, Sun phased out of his daily roles at his crypto-related projects such as Tron in order to focus on his diplomatic role at the WTO in Geneva.
In December 2021, Justin Sun retired as a CEO of TRON to become a diplomat for Grenada.
In June 2022, Sun was relieved of his position as Permanent Representative of Grenada to the World Trade Organization following the electoral defeat of the New National Party.
Vision
Sun's vision revolves around leveraging blockchain and cryptocurrency to revolutionize industries and empower individuals globally. He founded Tron, a blockchain-based operating platform, with the aim of creating a decentralized internet infrastructure that enables seamless digital content sharing and decentralized applications. Through Tron, Sun seeks to disrupt traditional intermediaries and provide users with greater control over their data and content.
Justin Sun's vision encompasses technological innovation, decentralized systems, international diplomacy, and the empowerment of individuals through blockchain and cryptocurrency. He strives to push boundaries, disrupt traditional industries, and contribute to the global adoption of this transformative technology.
Recognition and Awards
References
- Crypto entrepreneur to go to space on New Shepard l Space News
- 'Idols Are Dead': TRON Founder Justin Sun on the Opportunities That Crypto Art Presents for His Rising Generation l Artnet News
- Why Justin Sun has 1.3 million Weibo followers l South China Morning Post
- Crypto-bro Justin Sun represents everything Warren Buffett "can't even" about crypto l Quartz
- 5 things to know about Chinese crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun l South China Morning Post
- 30 under 30 l Forbes
- The many escapes of Justin Sun l The Verge
- BitTorrent unveils cryptocurrency so users can pay for faster download times l VentureBeat
- Crypto Wunderkind Justin Sun Says He's Becoming a Diplomat for Grenada l Bloomberg.com
- Ubisoft, Sequoia China Help NFT Creator Hit $2 Billion Valuation l Bloomberg.com
- Crypto Entrepreneur Justin Sun Tackles Space Next With Blue Origin Flight l Bloomberg
- SEC charges Justin Sun, former WTO Ambassador for Grenada l Loop News
- SEC.gov | SEC Charges Crypto Entrepreneur Justin Sun and his Companies for Fraud and Other Securities Law Violations l www.sec.gov
- SEC goes after Justin Sun, Lindsay Lohan and Soulja Boy l Financial Times
- SEC sues Justin Sun for his crypto schemes, along with Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul, and Soulja Boy l The Verge
- SEC charges Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul with crypto violations l The Hill
- Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul, Lil Yachty Among Celebrities Charged In SEC Crypto Case l Deadline Hollywood
- Winning bidder of Warren Buffett's private lunch revealed as Tron CEO Justin Sun l FOXBusiness
- Chinese blockchain entrepreneur Justin Sun won Warren Buffett's charity lunch with $4.6M bid l Yahoo Finance
- Who Cancels Lunch With Warren Buffett? A Chinese Tycoon Did, but Why? l The New York Times
- 'Excessive Self-Promotion': Justin Sun Apologizes After Postponing Charity Lunch With Warren Buffett l WSJ
- Warren Buffett finally had his $4.6 million meal with crypto boss Justin Sun l Markets Insider
- Cryptocurrency entrepreneur finally gets his $4.6 million meal with Buffett l CNBC
- Crypto pioneer Justin Sun pays $4.57 million for Warren Buffett lunch l Reuters
- Crypto pioneer Justin Sun plans space trip with Blue Origin l Reuters
- U.S. House panel seeks briefing on FAA Blue Origin probe l Reuters
- Crypto Billionaire Justin Sun Has Revealed Himself as the Buyer of the Macklowes' $78.4 Million Giacometti l Artnet News