China’s top cyber celebrity? ‘Papi Jiang’ from Shanghai has VC firms lining up as brand valuation hits record US$1.84 million
The woman, Jiang Yilei, and Wang Sicong, son of China’s richest man Wang Jianlin, currently rank as country’s most popular stars on social media, according to Chinese news reports
A 29-year-old woman from Shanghai who started posting humorous videos online six months ago has become one of the most high-profile cyber celebrities in mainland China.
As venture capitalists are reportedly lining up to invest in her brand, Papi Jiang, it has already hit a valuation of 12 million yuan (US$1.84 million), Chinese media report.
The woman, Jiang Yilei, a graduate student from China’s Central Academy of Drama, has posted about 40 original videos via Chinese social media sites including microblogging site Weibo and Tencent’s mobile chatting platform WeChat since last September.
WATCH: ‘Papi Jiang’ rant about how she hates it when people in love constantly talk about their partner
She uses the online moniker Papi Jiang and has already attracted more than eight million followers on Weibo alone.
Several domestic VC funds, including ZhenFund, Luogic Show, Lighthouse Capital and Xingtu Capital, announced earlier this week that they would be investing in her brand. This is largest funding of its kind for a young Chinese cyber celebrity on record.
One short video of Jiang that lasts roughly four minutes drew over 100,000 views within two minutes of being posted online in February, according to Chinese tech news website 36kr.com.
In her videos, Jiang mocks everyday life, relationships, movies and social issues by mimicking a gossipy white-collar in Shanghai and talking in a mixture of Shanghai dialect, English and Japanese.
