Zhou Qunfei holds the title of China’s richest woman after her company debuted on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange last month!
The 45-year-old is president of a company that makes touch-sensitive glass cases for phones, tablets and computers — and she’s currently worth US $7.6 billion!
Before her success, Zhou was born into extreme poverty. But her unfortunate circumstances only made her work harder. She found work making glass for watches in a processing factory. Within two years, she became the director of the entire manufacturing operation!
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Zhou launched 11 failed companies before she decided to go into making screen glass for mobile phones in 2003, attributing her success to her hard work ethic and persistence. The chairman said in an interview after her company was listed:
“Twice I even had to sell my house in order to pay my employees salary. Much like climbing a mountain, it’s not your physical strength that will get you to the top, but your tenacity and persistence.”
Zhou’s company Lens Technology is a supplier to firms like Apple and Samsung. The glass covers they produce are said to be used in every one out of five smartphone worldwide! Zhou credits her old teacher for part of her success:
“If it wasn’t for my primary school teacher reminding me to be observant, I may not have had the inspiration to think of my invention.”
In the rural village Zhou grew up in, rain would fall onto lotus leaves roll off without a trace. This led to the invention of the scratch proof screens that made her company billions!!
Wow! What an inspirational story!
We hope this shows others out there that hard work and persistence leads to great success!
[Image via Zi xin/AP Images.]
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