Six Key Facts About JD.com Founder Richard Liu's Yacht Brand: 5 Billion Personal Investment, Existing Clients, Affordable Yachts, Rooted in the Greater Bay Area...
On February 24, 2026, JD.com founder Richard Liu announced the establishment of an independent yacht brand Sea Expandary, with an investment of 5 billion yuan, officially entering the yacht industry. The news quickly sparked heated discussion. Orange Bay Sports has compiled the following six key facts.
Key Fact 1: Personal Investment
In an interview with 21st Century Business Herald, Richard Liu said: "This time we are building yachts with an investment of 5 billion yuan, so we can compete with the world's top yacht companies."
He specifically noted that this is a personal investment, and he will not be involved in day-to-day operations. "(Sea Expandary) has a CEO and a complete management team. I will at most be a product manager, experiencing the product. The vast majority of my energy will still be on JD Group."
Above: Sea Expandary's official website is now live
Key Fact 2: Existing Clients
Richard Liu revealed that after discussing his philosophy with foreign yacht owners, he has already received orders for five large yachts, all 72-meter catamarans, with an average price of 60 million euros.
But he emphasized: "Manufacturing is different from the internet; it cannot be done in two or three years. It may take 10 or 20 years, using quality, technology, and green environmental protection, to gain recognition from consumers worldwide."
Key Fact 3: Childhood Dream
Regarding why he entered the yacht industry, Richard Liu revealed in the interview that in middle school, his dream was to "become a ship captain."
He explained that this stems from his family's history of sailing: The Liu family has been sailing for generations, owning no land onshore, only knowing their ancestral home is Xiangtan, Hunan. Later, their ship sailed to Suqian, where they settled and became Suqian locals.
He emotionally spoke about his connection to boats: "Over a hundred years of sailing history gives me a special feeling for boats. Even now, I sleep best on a boat, even if it's a very small boat that rocks violently, it's very comfortable for me."
Key Fact 4: Aiming to Build Yachts Priced at 100,000 RMB
In an interview with Securities Times, Richard Liu revealed that Sea Expandary's brand positioning is "the world's highest-end, top-tier inclusive yacht."
He believes that in the future, yachts will become as popularized as cars. "China's car ownership has surpassed that of the United States, but the US has 13 million yachts, while China has only 12,000—just one-thousandth of the US. That is the most intuitive potential."
He hopes to eventually manufacture yachts priced at 100,000 RMB with enough space, making yachts as accessible as cars to ordinary households, affordable even for average working-class families.
Above: Sea Expandary's four business segments
Key Fact 5: New Energy and Intelligence
According to Sea Expandary's official website, the brand's business covers four major segments: design and manufacturing, global sales, yacht club services, and comprehensive marine scientific research services. Its yachts focus on "green" and "intelligent" features, adopting new energy systems that combine wind power generation and solar charging, leveraging AI and robotics technology to achieve full-process intelligence, and using an all-series pure electric propulsion system to provide users with an ultra-quiet, zero-vibration sailing experience.
Key Fact 6: Rooted in the Greater Bay Area's Full Industry Chain
Richard Liu stated that one of the core goals of this investment is to build a local yacht supply chain system in China, changing the current situation where domestic yacht components are highly dependent on imports.
Sea Expandary has signed strategic cooperation agreements with governments in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai, aiming to create a full industry chain from R&D and sales to terminal services in the Greater Bay Area. This includes building a yacht manufacturing base in Zhuhai, focusing on R&D and manufacturing of new energy power, intelligent driving, new materials, and interior design; establishing a yacht business China headquarters in Shenzhen to coordinate domestic business layout, brand operations, supply chain collaboration, and international market expansion; and deploying three yacht marinas each in Shenzhen and Zhuhai. Additionally, supporting facilities such as an R&D innovation center, yacht operations service center, and bonded repair center will also be established in the Greater Bay Area.
"In the early stage, we will focus on exports to Europe and the US, but we hope that through building a local supply chain, we can spur the emergence of a large number of Chinese yacht brands, forming an industrial cluster effect."
｜Sources: 21st Century Business Herald, Securities Times, Sea Expandary official website
｜Image sources: Sea Expandary official website; Xinhua News Agency; interview screenshots