Received 35 Billion on Birthday and Verified 468 Billion Balance... The Reality of a Chinese 20s Super Rich

Arrested on Charges of Photo Manipulation and Public Order Violation

A man in China was arrested by the police after boasting that he received a birthday gift worth 25 million dollars (approximately 35 billion KRW) from his grandmother, which turned out to be false.

According to the Hong Kong media South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 10th, a Chinese man identified as Mr. A posted photos of luxury cars, jewelry, and antiques on the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin, on the 5th of last month. Mr. A claimed that his grandmother gave him gifts worth 35 billion KRW for his 20th birthday.

When other netizens expressed suspicion, Mr. A posted a screenshot of his bank account. The screenshot showed his bank balance as 335 million dollars (approximately 468 billion KRW). He also shared an appointment letter presumed to be issued by the Chinese State Council for a senior family member and a group photo of military officials, implying that his relatives were high-ranking. Netizens responded with envy.

A man in China boasted about receiving a birthday gift worth 25 million dollars (approximately 35 billion won) from his grandmother, but it was revealed to be false. Photo by SCMP

However, on the 31st of last month, the cyber investigation team of the police in Guizhou Province, China, arrested Mr. A on charges of photo manipulation and disturbing public order. The police stated that Mr. A manipulated his assets and photos together to increase his social media followers and profit from online gambling.

Despite Mr. A’s lies being exposed, comments expressing dissatisfaction with wealth inequality continue on his social media posts. One netizen said, "The allowance of the rich is a fortune I will never obtain in my lifetime."

Regarding this, SCMP reported, "Over the past 20 years, China’s Gini coefficient has fluctuated between 0.46 and 0.49," adding, "A Gini coefficient above 0.4 indicates significant income disparity and high social tension." The Gini coefficient (ranging from 0 to 1) means that the higher the value, the more severe the income inequality, with 0.4 generally considered the threshold for inequality.