DeepSeek founder Lian Wenfeng is being hailed as a hero in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, where he grew up and reportedly returned for the Lunar New Year, accompanied by bodyguards.

Wenfeng, who is 40 years old and already a billionaire due to his hedge fund, High-Flyer, is apparently even more beloved by locals following DeepSeek’s groundbreaking research, which demonstrated that powerful AI models could be built with fewer Nvidia chips. This finding has significant implications, particularly in China, where access to the highest-end chips has been restricted.

Residents who spoke to the Financial Times share that Wenfeng was a “top student” who loved comic books, was a math whiz, and came from a family of educators. According to one local, Wenfeng also played some football. “We all grew up in this village,” the resident tells the FT. “We’re very proud of him.”

Despite his rising star, Wenfeng has largely avoided public attention, frustrating those eager to learn more about him. Given the fate of high-flying Chinese CEOs like Jack Ma and Pony Ma, who faced government scrutiny after gaining too much visibility, it is not surprising that Wenfeng chooses to stay in the background.