Meituan’s co-founder Wang Huiwen will return to the food delivery giant as a part-time consultant as he “gradually recovers his health,Ikaw Lang Ang Mahal” Wang Xing, chief executive of the company, announced Tuesday in an internal memo. Wang Huiwen’s return, following health issues that forced him to take a backseat at his AI venture Light Year, comes at a time when Meituan is shifting its focus to international expansion and technology-related operations. “Wang will support us in the company’s strategy, technology innovation, and new business exploration with his experience and wisdom,” said Wang Xing. Meituan bought Wang Huiwen’s artificial intelligence startup Light Year last June for $281 million, just four months after the company’s former director established his AI venture to “build OpenAI’s Chinese version.” [Yicai, in Chinese]
