The manufacturing genius in Munger's eyes: Why is Wang Chuanfu called "better at making cars than Musk"?

The 57-year-old BYD founder Wang Chuanfu has recently become popular—not because of social media, but because of a remark made by Warren Buffett's partner Charlie Munger on a podcast: “That guy from BYD is better at actually making things than Elon (Musk).”

This statement is quite straightforward. Building a global giant in new energy vehicles from scratch, Wang Chuanfu's resume is indeed impressive.

From Small Town to Industry Peak

Born in a small town in Anhui, Wang Chuanfu lost his parents at a young age and was supported by his older siblings to continue his studies—this was his starting point. Later, he engaged in rare earth metal research in Beijing and in 1995, with a friend's loan, founded BYD in Shenzhen. At that time, no one expected that this battery company would eventually compete with Tesla for the top spot in the electric vehicle market.

Betting at a Critical Moment

In 2008, Buffett invested $230 million in BYD—this is not chump change. Munger later explained that what they valued was Wang Chuanfu's hardcore manufacturing capability and workaholic spirit (working 70 hours a week is nothing).

Unlike Musk, who spends all day tweeting, Wang Chuanfu focuses on product and cost optimization. He entered the automotive industry in 2003 and launched his first plug-in hybrid in 2008. Although he started late, he managed to grow BYD into its current scale thanks to its battery expertise and favorable policies.

Data Speaks

• Wang Chuanfu has a net worth of approximately $15 billion (Bloomberg Billionaires Index) and holds 19% of BYD shares.
• BYD electric vehicle sales are leading in China and are expanding to over 60 countries.
• Last year, global tours, attending auto shows, meeting with leaders from various countries - this is building momentum for the new third-generation EV.

Manufacturing vs Creativity

Elon Musk leverages imagination and financing capabilities to disrupt industries, while Wang Chuanfu relies on cost control and capacity expansion to lower prices. One is a technological genius, and the other is a manufacturing genius. Although Munger's evaluation leans towards Wang Chuanfu, the question is: Is the key to victory in the current electric vehicle market really manufacturing capability — and this just happens to be BYD's core competitive advantage.

If Tesla represents the imagination of electric vehicles, then BYD represents the reality of electric vehicles. Both paths are viable, but clearly the latter has a larger market space.