2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 962 "The Low-Profile Richest Man"

"Alright, that's all for today's meeting. Everyone else, go ahead and get back to your work. Zhou Ao, you can stay here for a bit."

The executives didn't say anything and left together. Zhou Ao, who was left alone, was a little uneasy. According to past habits, when the boss called him alone, it was either because he really had something for him to do, or it could only be to reprimand him.

But you couldn't tell anything from the boss's expression.

"Marketing can be creative, but it's best not to take shortcuts. You should focus on product strength and brand strength. Our industry is quite difficult right now, but look at any industry, which one isn't difficult? And there aren't many industries where the focus of marketing is solely on the boss."

Using personal brand to promote products, similar to celebrities, is something Tan Jincheng doesn't object to; he himself does it. However, some things can be overdone. Zhou Ao's marketing strategy was somewhat aggressive, which Tan Jincheng doesn't quite agree with.

Over the past decade or so, from Shanchi to Weilai, as an absolute loyalist, Tan Jincheng generally wouldn't reject Zhou Ao's suggestions in formal meetings unless they were outrageous and genuinely based on marketing and company interests.

However, we can't let him get too carried away; we still need to keep a close eye on him from time to time.

“If you do too much of something, it can backfire. Look at the reputation of the Boiling Point series now. Don’t you dare make it so that everyone hates you.”

Chrysanthemum Factory's products and technology are not problematic, but in terms of marketing, they have really ruined their reputation. From the current ubiquitous online buzz to the subsequent claim of being far ahead, this continuous emotional output, even if they have actually succeeded, is very easy to make people feel annoyed.

If you're not a die-hard fan of Huawei, it's hard for a casual observer to stay in this high-spirited state. Huawei certainly takes marketing very seriously, but this kind of emotional marketing is fine to use occasionally. Tan Jincheng doesn't want to make it a regular practice.

"The essence of all marketing lies in product strength and brand strength. If the brand strength of Weilai is in my own hands, that is not a good thing. There is still a lot to learn in the automotive industry. Don't use the same mindset we have for electric vehicles."

The two-wheeled electric vehicle industry is very traditional, and these products are targeted at the general consumer market. Back then, a lottery could excite many consumers. Tan Jincheng's marketing method can be described as a game-changer.

However, the automotive industry is a completely different concept, and Zhou Ao's current mindset has not changed, which is why Tan Jincheng has always made him his deputy.

Tan Jincheng's expression was serious, and the warning in his words was very clear.

Zhou Ao couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive: "Okay, then I'll try not to make a fuss about this matter in the future. I'll pay special attention to it and also study harder to improve myself."

The boss is usually very easygoing with his colleagues, but he can be quite frightening when he gets angry. Zhou Ao, who has worked with him for over ten years, is naturally afraid whenever he sees Tan Jincheng's face darken.

This is due to a long-term backlog.

"Alright, let's get back to work. We shouldn't get involved in this kind of content. As for other media reports, we can't control them. As long as they don't go too far, let them be."

With many of its subsidiaries going public, ByteDance's assets in China can no longer be hidden as well as before, and most of its overseas holdings are also impossible to conceal.

According to the SEC’s latest rules, all institutions managing more than $100 million are required to disclose their holdings on a quarterly basis. All institutions must disclose their holdings within 45 days of the end of each quarter.

Whether it's ByteDance's investment platform or Tan Jincheng's family fund, it's not difficult to find out his holdings if you're willing to put your mind to it.

In the era of big data, the financial status and valuation of both listed and unlisted companies are almost transparent. There are many videos on the Internet that specifically analyze Tan Jincheng and his family's assets.

It's far too difficult to manipulate the wealth rankings like it did in previous years. The organizations that publish the wealth rankings are also less likely to be swayed by public relations efforts as they were a few years ago; they also care about their image.

"Let's do some public relations work over there and keep the number below 3000. It's best not to be too far off from Mr. Ma's."

They can't hide it anymore. According to their own calculations, their wealth has already surpassed that of Jack Ma. The key point is that Jack Ma chose to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange at the end of November, so it's unlikely that there will be a significant breakthrough in terms of market value.

Of course, it would be best if he could rank second or even third, but the information he has received so far is that he will be placed in first place this year, that is, the richest man.

Some people said that it seems a bit inappropriate for the richest person to be someone who has announced his retirement, and that Weilai represents new quality productivity and is a model enterprise of intelligent manufacturing in China, which is completely different from the Internet industry with its bad reputation.

He didn't dare to ask where the rumor came from, but judging from the current situation, he was certain to be the richest man in 2019.

"The boss doesn't seem too happy."

Zhao Xinyi found it somewhat amusing. Over the years, she had been in charge of public relations for this wealth list, and she was quite familiar with the people there. In previous years, she had followed the normal public relations approach, moving the rankings down, and they were all very easy to talk to.

However, this year, when I tried to do public relations as usual, I was rejected.

"How can you be happy? That position isn't so easy to sit in."

If he could, he really wouldn't want to be in this position, but some things are simply beyond his control.

"Hey, why couldn't Old Ma have listed in Hong Kong a month earlier?"

Going public a month earlier would have allowed for some public relations efforts, or at least helped boost the stock price of Ali. He's been briefly the "richest man" before, but this time it wasn't as short-lived, and it just happened to coincide with the time when the rich list was updated.

This is a bit embarrassing.

"It is indeed not an easy job, but since things cannot be changed, let's just do it honestly. In any case, this is a rare honor for you and your companies."

"Furthermore, your entrepreneurial experience is unlike that of the older generation, where every source of income is traceable, so you don't need to worry too much."

Tan Jincheng smiled and said, "There's no need to worry. Besides, worrying won't do any good. What I mean is that after the official announcement, I'm mainly worried about some changes in the company's atmosphere. You can ask the administration to keep an eye on this."

People are restless. Back then, Ali was full of passion, but as it developed, it became a company with a strong sense of patriarchy, and became the target of ridicule. No one would look down on the technical staff who left Ali, but the managers who left Ali are disliked by everyone.

There are many reasons, and Lao Ma's arrogance is certainly one of them.

At the end of October, the new Forbes China Rich List was officially released, along with the Hu Run Rich List. Due to different statistical methods, the two lists differed in their calculations of the wealth of the rich, and even some of the richest people at the back of the list had some discrepancies.

However, the statistics for the top ten richest people are basically the same.

"Holy crap, four people born in the 1980s, is a new era dawning?"

As expected, Tan Jincheng, whose companies cover the internet, investment, new energy and automobile manufacturing, and light industry, unsurprisingly topped the list of the richest people in China at the age of 34 years and three months. He is also the second youngest richest person in China.

Among the two lists, the more authoritative Forbes estimates Tan Jincheng and his family's net worth at 2805.7 billion yuan, which is more than 50 billion yuan higher than Ali Ma, who ranked second, and about 200 billion yuan less than Tencent Ma, who ranked third.

Since the concept of a rich list and a richest person was first introduced in China, this is the first time that a person born in the 1980s has become the richest person in the country. With a net worth of nearly 408 billion US dollars, Tan Jincheng and his family rank 22nd among the world's richest people.

"When my good friend Mr. Zhang Xupeng and I first walked into that small workshop-style garment factory in Beicang District, our wish was to make some money, buy a car and a house."

"I never imagined that one day I would sit in this position."

Becoming the richest man in the country has made him the focus of the media, but at the same time he has also become a "target". Tan Jincheng, who rarely talks about his wealth in public, also gave face this time by accepting a joint interview with several authoritative financial media, including the list.

"How do I feel? A little bit of anxiety, I guess; but if we're talking about it, the fact that four people born in the 1980s are in the top ten this time shows that we are really getting old."

Besides Tan Jincheng, there is also the successor of a certain Guiyuan who has been at the top of the list for a long time. In addition, the two who appeared in the top ten this time are Huang Zheng and Zhang Yiming. Tan Jincheng's sudden increase in wealth is, in a sense, closely related to these two.

Huang Zheng acquired Orange Products' agricultural assistance project and launched Pinduoduo with a subsidy of 10 billion yuan. Both his GMV and stock price have risen very well. With a wealth growth rate of 93%, Huang Zheng has increased his net worth to 150 billion yuan.

Zhang Yiming is even more remarkable. The difference between Douyin in 2018 and 2019 is like night and day. If 2018 was just the year Douyin became a hit, and that was in China, then 2019 was a completely different story.

TikTok continues to be a global phenomenon, making it the first social media app to truly go global. In China, Douyin's daily active users exceeded 3.2 million in July, more than double that of Kuaishou, the previous leader in the short video field, and it is also the second most active app in China, second only to WeChat.

Douyin's ecosystem has already threatened Tencent's social system. Pony Ma has started playing the same old trick of blocking Douyin links in WeChat again, and at the same time, his commercial actions against Douyin are becoming more and more frequent.

Tencent's stock performance in recent months has been poor, which is partly due to the rapid development of Douyin.

The two post-80s individuals who entered the top ten saw their net worth skyrocket, and Tan Jincheng holds substantial shares in both companies, including ByteDance, which are the reasons behind his soaring wealth.

"Mr. Tan, you really know how to joke. You're only 34 years old. If you're considered old, then what are we?" Hu Run, 49, has been living in our country for over 20 years and speaks fluent Mandarin. He's practically a China expert. He's dealt with Tan Jincheng many times, but this is the first time he's had the opportunity to interview Tan Jincheng directly.

Contrary to his expectations, Tan Jincheng was quite humorous during the interview.

"There's a saying in our country, 'At thirty, one stands firm,' Mr. Hu should know that, right?"

Hu Run nodded. Tan Jincheng had been habitually calling him President Hu since their first meeting, and he was too lazy to correct him. At their first meeting, this young man had asked to be ranked lower, which surprised him greatly.

At just over 20 years old, he was already so mature. It was from that time that Hu Run began to pay attention to Tan Jincheng. However, the fact that this young man became the richest man in the country so quickly was still far beyond his expectations.

Orange Group's transformation from a traditional internet e-commerce company to an artificial intelligence company has given its stock price ample room for imagination, while Weilai Shares is different from traditional automobile manufacturers. It is also a world-class lithium battery manufacturer.

On October 10, influenced by the awarding of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to researchers in the field of lithium-ion batteries, A-share lithium battery stocks generally rose, and Weilai Co., Ltd., as the leader in the lithium battery sector, has maintained a good performance since the beginning of this month.

The official commencement of production at Tesla's Shanghai factory not only triggered a strong rebound in Tesla's stock price but also boosted the performance of the new energy vehicle sector in the A-share market. As a core supplier of Tesla, Weilai was also significantly affected.

In addition, it is worth noting that ByteDance's advertising platform and Tan Jincheng's family fund began increasing their holdings in Tesla at the end of the second quarter. Besides the shares in the two core companies, Tan Jincheng's wealth is closely related to investments.

"After you turn 30, people's perspectives on you often change. Married people need to take on the responsibility of supporting their families, while unmarried people will face faster pressure from their families to get married."

"So in a sense, it's fair to say that we, the post-80s generation, are old."

"From an entrepreneur's perspective, now that I'm over 30, I have more to consider. By 'old,' I mean mature, and my net worth is just the least significant change among them."

Having become the richest man, Tan Jincheng has become even more low-key. Throughout the interview, he tried to downplay his status as the richest man and talked more about topics such as life and social responsibility. If he couldn't avoid the topic, he would bring Zhang Yiming and Huang Zheng along.

These two are good friends of Boss Tan, so it's reasonable to use them as scapegoats, right?
Hu Run watched with a smile as Tan Jincheng spoke eloquently. This young man, 15 years younger than him, gave him a different feeling every time they met. At their first meeting, he was sharp and shrewd, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

Now, the young man who has become the new richest man has become increasingly sophisticated. This interview felt to him as if he were interviewing a veteran entrepreneur, like the former richest man.

Of course, this kind of tactfulness is not a derogatory term; on the contrary, it is a compliment when used to describe Tan Jincheng.

As Tan Jincheng said, having passed the age of 30, he needs to be more mature.

"I never thought I would be in this position, but now that I am, I need to hold myself to higher standards and make the company even better."

Hu Run is a China expert and wouldn't dwell on this kind of topic, but that doesn't mean other reporters won't be watching this hot topic. He's a 34-year-old richest man; the last richest man in his 30s was Mr. Chen from Shanda.

Coincidentally, the year Mr. Chen became the richest man was the same year that Tan Jincheng started his business. In 2004, 31-year-old Chen Tianqiao and 19-year-old Tan Jincheng seemed to have completed a handover in some sense between two completely non-existent time periods.

"Does becoming the richest man mean that Mr. Tan doesn't care at all? Won't he celebrate with his family?"

A female reporter at the scene clearly wanted to keep pressing the topic and asked a few more questions.

Tan Jincheng glanced at her and smiled, "Of course I'm happy. After all, this is an honor for me and an affirmation of my career. How could I not feel anything?"

As for whether I'll celebrate with my family? That's a question for my wife; I don't know if she's prepared.

"President Gu is also a very outstanding woman. I wonder if President Tan has any interesting stories from her life that she can share with us?"

The young female reporter asked a question that Tan Jincheng clearly didn't want to answer. Hu Run wasn't the only shrewd person present, so he quickly changed the subject.

"Fun things in life?"

Tan Jincheng was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant and smiled helplessly: "To be honest, the only interesting things in our lives over the years are probably eating together and taking care of the children. We've both been too busy, and I feel guilty towards our family."

Success in one's career inevitably comes at the cost of more personal life. It is difficult to balance work and family. Tan Jincheng couldn't even remember the last time he and Gu Qingqing spent time alone together like lovers.

"I understand. It's not just President Tan who's very busy; President Gu is also very busy. It must be very difficult for them to balance family life."

Gu Qingqing is in charge of Orange Group's most profitable gaming business and is now very famous in the gaming industry, known as the "Queen of Games." She is also in charge of organizing tournaments for Honor of Kings.

In addition, games and entertainment have always been closely related. Through Orange Live, there are many collaborations with major entertainment companies, and its influence in the entertainment industry is also very significant.

"Indeed, but we've been married for a long time, and our children have grown up. We've made it through."

Hu Run couldn't help but smile: "President Tan and your wife have known each other for 16 years, so you can really be considered an old married couple. I really envy your relationship. I also want to thank your elders back then; their support was crucial."

The joint interview was quickly published in the newspaper and simultaneously reposted on the internet. The emergence of the first post-80s billionaire was already generating considerable buzz online, and with the response from the person involved, the buzz only intensified.

Although Mr. Tan tried his best to downplay his status as the richest man, how could such a thing be so easily forgotten? Wealth has always been one of the most popular topics in society.

"Haha, my richest brother."

Zhang Xupeng has also put aside his work these past few days and often goes to the Weilai Automobile Factory to tease Tan Jincheng, because his Weibo and Douyin accounts have suddenly become popular.

The account, which was originally lukewarm, suddenly started receiving a lot of comments, with the comment section full of "Hello, richest man brother." The reason is simple: Tan Jincheng mentioned not only his family but also him during the interview.

CCTV also released a short clip of the interview on its website, in which Tan Jincheng mentioned his memories of starting a business with Zhang Xupeng.

"Are you too idle? Why do you come to the car factory every day? If you really have nothing to do, come and tighten screws for me."

The rich list was released at the end of October, and now it's November, a very crucial period is approaching. Wei Lai's factory renovation plan is also nearing completion, and Tan Jincheng is currently inspecting various locations to prepare for next month.

Regarding staff, the three-shift and two-shift systems have been reasonably integrated, and preparations have been made in all aspects. In addition, Liu Fangyi of Inco Medical followed Tan Jincheng's advice and increased the production line for masks.

By increasing its investment in online e-commerce and cooperation with offline pharmacies, as well as through advertising and various promotional activities, Inco's brand of masks has gained significant brand awareness. In addition, Inco Medical will also participate in the Double Eleven promotion this year, promoting the brand on major e-commerce platforms.

"I'm so happy; don't worry, although Flash is not as large as Wei, it's almost done according to your requirements."

If Weilai needs to be transformed, Shanchi also needs to be transformed. Tan Jincheng's reason is to improve the intelligent manufacturing level of the factory. The investment in Weilai's Yongcheng factory is very large, and it has always been benchmarked against the world's top automobile factories. Tan Jincheng's reason for improving intelligent manufacturing is completely reasonable.

"I don't know what you're so happy about. It's not like you're the richest person in the world."

Tan Jincheng was speechless, but he could tell that Zhang Xupeng was genuinely happy. Zhang Xupeng had always been quite steady; otherwise, he wouldn't have become the logistics manager at the beginning of his business. This unrestrained behavior he was exhibiting recently only existed in their private time together.

"Haha, my brother is the richest man in the world, how could I not be happy? Want to have a drink together tonight?"

"I'm not drinking anymore. You've been dragging me to drink for days. Also, you can have fun in private, but don't talk nonsense online. Don't get too cocky."

"I know, I know, the low-key Boss Tan."

During the interview, Tan Jincheng downplayed his status as the richest man and talked about other things, which was ridiculed by netizens.

"Now I understand why Lao Ma and his team keep spouting motivational platitudes in public."

I can't not drink it, I can't exactly brag about how rich I am, can I?
"Alright, alright, let's stop focusing on this. Let's go check out Flashspeed. I want to see how well you've done the modifications."

Whether he's the richest man or not, he'll probably be gone soon. Ali is going to have a secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange this month. Although the last delisting left a very bad reputation in Hong Kong, Ali is still welcomed by Hong Kong capital for its secondary listing.

Compared to Xiaomi, Ali's treatment in Hong Kong is completely different. However, Xiaomi's stock price has finally stabilized in the past month or so, with an overall increase of nearly 5% in September and October.

The start of November was pretty good, and after three consecutive months, the stock price finally stabilized.

(End of this chapter)