DeepSeek mystery: who is speaking for start-up as CEO Liang Wenfeng remains out of sight?

The potential emergence of a new DeepSeek spokesman has sparked intrigue as speculation over the whereabouts of founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng continues, more than a year after his last public appearance.While the Hangzhou start-up’s latest V4 model did not make the same waves as its breakout moment a year earlier, the much-anticipated release still grabbed headlines through a collaboration with domestic tech giant Huawei Technologies and its remarkably low prices.For the traditionally low-profile firm, a recent change to its shareholding structure suggests that Liang’s control over the company has not waned. Still, developments in recent days point to a new public face for the start-up.Where is Liang Wenfeng?Liang has not appeared publicly since a high-profile televised meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in February last year, immediately after the release of DeepSeek’s R1 model. Yet there were no signs that his leading role had changed.