Big Take Asia From the Gobi Desert to Wall Street: a Conversation With Weijian Shan
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Aug 22, 2025 
In a compelling conversation, Mishal Husain speaks with Weijian Shan, a Chinese economist and co-founder of a major private equity firm in Asia. Weijian shares his remarkable journey from the Gobi Desert during the Cultural Revolution to Wall Street. He reflects on the implications of Hong Kong’s National Security law, the impact of President Trump’s trade war on China, and the importance of education versus the struggles his childhood friends continue to face. His insights offer a unique perspective on resilience and adaptability in a rapidly changing world.
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Learning From Scarce Books
- Shan pursued self-study amid brutal work, sometimes reading only an insecticide manual.
- He taught himself unevenly and gained practical knowledge from scarce materials.
Elected Out Of The Desert
- Shan left the Gobi because peers voted him to take a rare college opportunity after a local election process.
- That vote enabled his return and eventual path back to education.
Memory Gap On The Cultural Revolution
- Shan believes younger Chinese often lack formal education about the Cultural Revolution, increasing curiosity.
- He wrote his memoir partly to restore that memory for new generations seeking parents' stories.
