Richard Liu is the founder and chairman of JD.com, the Chinese e-commerce and supply chain business. Germán Larrea Mota-Velasco is the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Grupo México, whose activities include copper mining, freight transportation and infrastructure.
Their careers offer a useful comparison between building an online retail business and leading an industrial group. Understanding their company roles, business models and wealth estimates makes that comparison more informative than a simple billionaire ranking.
Who is Richard Liu?
Richard Liu is also known as Liu Qiangdong. JD.com’s official executive biography uses the name Richard Qiangdong Liu and identifies him as the company’s founder and chairman.
His business history includes two dates that can appear contradictory without context. According to Yale Center Beijing’s speaker biography, Liu started a business distributing magneto-optical products in Beijing in June 1998. He launched his first online retail website in January 2004 and founded the company that became JD.com later that year.
The distinction explains why accounts of his career mention both 1998 and 2004: one marks his earlier retail business, while the other marks the development of the online enterprise.
Liu’s executive responsibilities have also changed. JD.com announced on April 7, 2022, that he would hand over the chief executive position while remaining chairman. Its current official biography continues to identify him as chairman and records that his tenure as CEO ended in April 2022.
Who is Germán Larrea?
Germán Larrea’s full name is Germán Larrea Mota-Velasco. He is the Mexican business leader associated with Grupo México and Southern Copper Corporation.
According to Southern Copper’s official biography, Larrea joined Grupo México’s board in 1981 and previously served as executive vice chairman. He has held the positions of chairman, president and CEO of Grupo México since 1994.
His Southern Copper responsibilities have a separate timeline. He has chaired that company’s board since December 1999 and served as its CEO from December 1999 to October 2004. Those dates matter because holding a leadership position at Grupo México does not mean he currently holds the same executive title at every associated company.
Larrea’s documented career therefore centres on the leadership and expansion of an established industrial group, with responsibilities extending across mining and railway businesses.
How do their companies compare?
| Point of comparison | Richard Liu | Germán Larrea |
|---|---|---|
| Main company | JD.com | Grupo México |
| Principal business activities | E-commerce, retail and supply chain services | Copper mining, freight transportation and infrastructure |
| Main company role | Founder and chairman | Chairman, president and CEO |
| Important career milestone | Launched an online retail website in 2004 | Became Grupo México’s chairman, president and CEO in 1994 |
JD.com describes itself as a supply chain-based technology and service provider. That description helps explain why its business extends beyond an online storefront: moving, storing and delivering products is central to its retail offering.
In April 2017, JD.com announced the establishment of JD Logistics as a business group. The announcement outlined services for external business customers, including warehousing, transportation, delivery and after-sales support. Its logistics capabilities could therefore support other businesses as well as JD’s own retail operations.
Grupo México’s activities serve different needs. Its corporate description of its divisions identifies copper production, rail freight transportation, and engineering, infrastructure and energy projects.
The contrast is between retail fulfilment and industrial production, although both businesses depend on physical infrastructure. Describing Liu’s business solely as digital would overlook the warehouses and delivery operations behind online shopping.
Commodity prices also provide important context for Larrea’s main company. Reuters reported in July 2026 that Grupo México’s second-quarter net profit rose nearly 79% from a year earlier, supported by higher copper prices even as copper output declined. That example illustrates why production volume alone cannot explain a mining group’s financial performance.
Who has the higher estimated net worth?
On October 9, 2026, Forbes’ real-time profiles listed the following estimates:
| Forbes profile | Estimated net worth |
|---|---|
| Richard Liu | US$5.7 billion |
| Germán Larrea Mota Velasco & family | US$67.3 billion |
Larrea’s entry was substantially larger on that date. However, Forbes explicitly labels it as an estimate for Larrea and his family, while Liu’s entry is presented under his individual name. That difference should remain visible whenever the figures are compared.
These are dated wealth estimates, rather than company revenues or amounts of cash available to spend. They should also be distinguished from annual billionaire-list figures, which represent a different snapshot. A clear comparison preserves the publisher, date and profile label instead of combining numbers from different periods.
B. Sources
Publication or update dates are given where displayed. Undated pages were consulted on October 9, 2026.
| Publisher | Page title and direct URL | Publication/update information |
|---|---|---|
| JD.com | Richard Qiangdong Liu — current role and executive biography. JD.Com, Inc. | No publication/update date displayed |
| Yale Center Beijing | Leaders Forum: JD.com’s Richard Qiangdong Liu — early business and online launch chronology. CenterBeijing-Yale | Event date: August 28, 2015; publication date not displayed |
| JD.com, filed with the SEC | JD.com Announces Management and Board Changes — CEO succession and continued chairmanship. sec.gov | April 7, 2022 |
| Southern Copper Corporation | German Larrea Mota-Velasco — Grupo México and Southern Copper leadership timelines. Eng | No publication/update date displayed |
| JD.com | Investor Home — company profile. JD.Com, Inc. | Company-profile text undated |
| JD.com | JD.com Announces Establishment of JD Logistics Business Group — logistics services and business-group launch. JD.Com, Inc. | April 25, 2017 |
| Grupo México | Corporate Sustainable Development Goals — descriptions of its three business divisions. Desarrollo Sustentable ENG | No publication/update date displayed |
| Reuters | Grupo Mexico profit beats estimates on higher copper prices — reported financial performance and copper-price context. Reuters | Published and updated July 21, 2026 |
| Forbes | Richard Liu — identity and wealth estimate. forbes.com | Editorial profile updated March 10, 2026; wealth snapshot October 9, 2026 |
| Forbes | Germán Larrea Mota Velasco & family — wealth estimate and family label. forbes.com | Editorial profile updated March 10, 2026; wealth snapshot October 9, 2026 |
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