[3] In 1998, Chen Yidan co-founded the internet holding company Tencent alongside Ma Huateng,[4] Zhang Zhidong,[5] Xu Chenye, and Zeng Liqing.
[10] He continued to be involved with the company as an advisor, sponsor, and honorary chairman of the Tencent Charity Foundation.
[14][15] In 2015, Yidan donated RMB20 million to support the college's library construction and reading material purchases.
[2][16] In May 2016, Chen founded the Yidan Prize, funded by an independent trust of HK $2.5 billion (US$320 million).
[17][2] In 2015 Yidan was named to the China Philanthropy Institute's list of top Chinese philanthropists.