Li Shengwu (economist)
Li Shengwu (; born 4 February 1985) is a Singaporean economist residing in the United States. He works as an assistant professor at Harvard University, conducting research mainly on behavioral economics. Li is also the grandson of Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of Singapore.

Education and career 

Li received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy, politics and economics from the University of Oxford in 2009 and obtained a Master of Philosophy degree in economics from Oxford in 2011. Li then pursued a PhD in economics at Stanford University, working on economic theory and behavioral and experimental economics. Upon completing his dissertation titled Essays in Theoretical and Behavioral Economics, Li graduated in 2016.

Li joined, in 2016, Harvard Society of Fellows as a Junior Fellow. In 2018, he became an assistant professor of economics at Harvard University.

Li received a Sloan Research Fellowship in 2023.

Personal life and family

Li was born in 1985 in Singapore to Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern. He has two younger brothers, Li Huanwu and Li Shaowu.

After the death of Singapore's longtime prime minister Lee Kuan Yew in 2015, Li Shengwu's uncle Lee Hsien Loong, then-prime minister of Singapore, began sparring with his brothers, including Li's father Lee Hsien Yang, over the fate of 38 Oxley Road, the family home that Lee Kuan Yew left behind.

When the family dispute became publicized in 2017, Li made a private Facebook post complaining that "the Singapore government is very litigious and has a pliant court system". Singapore's Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) subsequently sued Li for contempt of court. Some believe that Li's post and the ensuing lawsuit are related to the family feud. Li himself claimed that the charges were "politically motivated". The AGC offered to stop pursuing their lawsuit if Li agrees to issue an apology that admits contempt of court as well as making "false and baseless" statements. However, Li refused to apologize, stating that he has not committed any crimes. The case resolved in 2020 when Li agreed to pay a fine of S$15,000, though he refused to concede that his post is illegal and claimed that he paid the fine "to buy some peace and quiet", while the Singapore AGC stated that Li "contrived excuses for running away".

Even after the resolution of the lawsuit in 2020, Li continued to reside in the United States. He claimed in a 2023 interview with the New York Times that he fears being arrested if he returns to Singapore. According to Li, his uncle Lee Hsien Loong, who is in power, "doesn’t want competing claims to legitimacy" and would not take chances. Li claimed that his parents would also be in danger if they return to Singapore because the authorities can detain them indefinitely without access to a lawyer.

When Li received a Sloan Research Fellowship in 2023, Jewel Stolarchuk from The Independent Singapore observed that The Straits Times, the newspaper of record in Singapore, has remained silent on this award, despite multiple prominent Singaporean figures congratulating Li's achievement. Stolarchuk contended that the lack of coverage on this event, as well as other achievements of Li's father's family members, is due to the pressures from the Singaporean government.

References

External links
Li Shengwu's profile at Harvard University

1985 births
Living people
Behavioral economists
Singaporean economists
People from Singapore
Stanford University alumni
Alumni of the University of Oxford
Harvard University faculty
Lee family (Singapore)
Sloan Fellows