Iconic American Companies Owned by Chinese Investors

Headquarters: Stamford, CT
Bought By: Anbang (abandoned deal)
Headquarters: Beijing

Although this deal fell through, it was so close to closing that it’s worth mentioning. Back in 2016, Chinese group Anbang was locked in a bidding war with Marriott International for Starwood Hotels. Anbang put in an offer of $14 billion for the hospitality chain.

Many expected Anbang to hold on for longer, but they dropped out leaving Marriott to swoop in and become the world’s largest lodging company. Anbang already had an impressive portfolio of American brands, but they wanted to add Starwood to it. According to Anbang, they decided to withdraw after considering the market.

Headquarters: Tucson, AZ
Bought By: Hanergy
Headquarters: Beijing

Founded in 1996, Global Solar Energy manufacturers solar sells from its base in Tucson, Arizona. However, the company also holds down allocation in Berlin, Germany – and is overseen by Hanergy in Beijing.

Hanergy bought 100% of the company back in 2013 for an undisclosed amount, taking over the pioneering business in one fell swoop. In a statement, Hanergy CEO Li Hejun said,  Flexible and thin-film photovoltaic technology is the future and the trend of the industry. The acquisition of GSE marks another landmark deal for us after MiaSole and Solibro.”

Headquarters: McLean, VA
Bought By: 263 Network Communication
Headquarters: Chaoyang

Known as a leader in telecommunications, iTalk Global might help Americans talk to each other, but it’s owned by China. In 2008, 263 Network Communication Co. bought a 50% stake in the company. Both sides were hopeful it would help such a service become available in China at the time.

According to iTalk’s LinkedIn profile, they have over 1.2 million users around the world and are a “true global company.” Communication companies can be extremely lucrative companies for investors that are looking for their next big win. This partnership was no different!

Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Bought By: Renren
Headquarters: Beijing

Social Finance Inc, otherwise known as Sofi, is still a relatively young company having first come to fruition in 2011. The personal finance and loan business has welcomed many investors since then, including Beijing-based company Renren among others.

As one of the earliest investors in the company, Renren holds a large stake SoFi. It sold off some of these shares in 2017 to gather funding for future developments, but according to Crowd Fund Insider, kept 85.9% of its previous holdings in the company. At the time, SoFi was valued at an incredible price of $14 billion.

Headquarters: Henderson, NV
Bought By: SunSi
Headquarters: Beijing

Energy companies are often a hot topic for Chinese investors. Back in 2012, Beijing-based company SunSi announced plans to purchase 51% of TransPacific Energy. At the time, SunSi was already involved with the industry as a maker of TCS for polysilicon in China. By buying into TransPacific, they were able to corner a larger share of the renewable energy market.

The partnership also allowed TransPacific to bring their products into the Chinese market, something which had been closed off to them until that point. The company still holds an office in Nevada as well as another in California.