Frank Wang
Founder of Chinese drone manufacturer DJI, retains majority control.
Frank Wang (Wang Tao) founded DJI in 2006 while a student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and retains majority control of the company. DJI is the world's largest consumer and prosumer drone manufacturer, controlling an estimated 70-90% of the global market. The U.S. Department of Defense designated DJI a Chinese military company in 2022, a classification a federal court upheld in September 2025, and DJI has been on the U.S. Commerce Department's Entity List since 2020 amid export-control and surveillance concerns; in December 2025 the FCC banned import and sale of new DJI drone models. Wang has reportedly retained a controlling ownership stake of roughly 45% since at least 2015 - a figure DJI, a private company, has never officially confirmed.
Overview
- Role
- Founder & CEO, DJI
- Based in
- Shenzhen, China
- Prior experience
Affiliated funds0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- Who is Frank Wang?
- Frank Wang (Wang Tao) founded DJI in 2006 while a student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and retains majority control of the company. DJI is the world's largest consumer and prosumer drone manufacturer, controlling an estimated 70-90% of the global market. The U.S. Department of Defense designated DJI a Chinese military company in 2022, a classification a federal court upheld in September 2025, and DJI has been on the U.S. Commerce Department's Entity List since 2020 amid export-control and surveillance concerns; in December 2025 the FCC banned import and sale of new DJI drone models. Wang has reportedly retained a controlling ownership stake of roughly 45% since at least 2015 - a figure DJI, a private company, has never officially confirmed.
- What is Frank Wang's role?
- Frank Wang is Founder & CEO, DJI, based in Shenzhen, China.
Tags
Sources & citations6
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Frank Wang founded DJI in 2006 while a student at HKUST, building on a helicopter flight-control system project
Wikipedia: Frank WangVerified2026-08-08 - 2
DJI was founded January 18, 2006; controls an estimated 70-90% of the global drone market; US regulatory timeline (Entity List, DoD Chinese military company designation, FCC ban)
Wikipedia: DJIVerified2026-08-08 - 3
- 4
Frank Wang retains roughly 45% ownership of DJI, valued at approximately $10 billion in a 2015 funding round
Forbes: Bow To Your Billionaire Drone Overlord: Frank Wang's Quest To Put DJI Robots Into The SkyVerified2015-05-06 - 5
A federal court upheld the Department of Defense's designation of DJI as a Chinese military company
DroneLife: DJI to Remain on Pentagon List After U.S. Court RulingVerified2025-09-29 - 6
The FCC banned import and sale of new DJI drone models
CNN Business: US bans new foreign drone models in a blow to Chinese giant DJIVerified2025-12-23