On the evening of March 31, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) announced that its controlling shareholder, Xiamen Ruiting Investment Co., Ltd., has signed a donation agreement with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) Education Development Foundation. The firm will donate 5 million A-shares of CATL to establish the “Robin Zeng Education Fund,” aimed at supporting the university’s academic development.
Based on CATL’s closing price of 401.70 yuan per share, the 5 million shares are valued at approximately 2.0085 billion yuan ($280 million USD). This massive contribution sets a new record for donations received by Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
A Legacy of Alumni Philanthropy
Robin Zeng (Zeng Yuqun), the founder and chairman of CATL, is a distinguished alumnus of SJTU’s School of Naval Architecture, Ocean, and Civil Engineering (Class of 1989). Over the past five years, Zeng has donated approximately 3.4 billion yuan to his alma mater.
- In 2021, he was appointed as a school board member and Honorary Dean of the Future Technology Institute.
- Previously, in December 2021, he donated 2 million shares valued at 1.374 billion yuan.
Celebrating SJTU’s 130th Anniversary
As Shanghai Jiao Tong University approaches its 130th anniversary this year, several high-profile alumni have made significant contributions. Donors include Ji Qi (Founder of Huazhu Group), Qi Shi (Chairman of East Money Information), Cheng Minghe (Co-founder of Mindray Medical), and Eric Jing (Chairman of Ant Group).
Beyond Robin Zeng, other CATL executives are also active in philanthropy. Last July, Vice Chairman Li Ping donated 4.05 million shares—valued at over 1.1 billion yuan—to the Fudan University Education Development Foundation.
CATL’s Stellar Financial Performance
According to the latest financial reports, CATL achieved an annual revenue of 423.7 billion yuan in 2025, with a net profit of 72.2 billion yuan (a 42.28% year-on-year increase). On average, the battery giant earned nearly 200 million yuan per day in 2025.
The company also announced a record-breaking dividend plan, distributing a total of approximately 36.1 billion yuan to shareholders, accounting for half of its annual net profit.
