The past month has been disastrous for some of China’s leading influencers, including the top-earning KOL Crazy Xiaoyangge, who boasts 100 million followers.
They have inadvertently tarnished their reputations by selling fake products or attacking strangers during live-streams, inciting online outrage and jeopardising their lucrative careers.
The Post examines these cases to illustrate how, to paraphrase a saying, a lifetime of effort to build a good reputation can be lost in a moment. For these influencers, it appears their downfalls stem from over-confidence, ruthlessness, and arrogance.
Crazy Xiaoyangge
Before becoming known as Crazy Xiaoyangge, Zhang Qingyang rose to fame with his “crazy” comic sales style. He was the first influencer to reach 100 million followers on Douyin in 2022, reportedly earning 3.21 billion yuan (US$450 million) last year.
