Simu Liu

 Liu was born in Harbin (China) on 19 April 1989. He is the son of Zhenning Liu and Zheng Liu. The parents of Zheng and Zhenning were able to enter Beijing University, despite considerable opposition, to study engineering. His father Zhenning was a student in America to pursue a PhD and his mother worked in Beijing. Liu was raised in Harbin by his grandparents up to the age of five. He described his childhood as idyllic and blissful. His parents later moved to Canada with Liu. They enjoyed a lucrative career as dishwashing workers and became successful aerospace engineers. Liu recalled being raised by his grandparents in Harbin, China, in circumstances which he said were "idyllic and happy". Liu's parents "hothoused" the child in maths from the age of five. They also set assignments which included studying algebra as well as biographies of famous scientists. He was a student at the University of Toronto Schools for high school and then studied management at the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario, having graduated with distinction in the year 2011.