SINGAPORE: A wave of suspensions has hit China’s super-wealthy social media stars as several influencers recently found their accounts banned for flaunting their luxurious lifestyles online.
Among the influencers who had their Chinese social media accounts suspended was “wanghongquanxing”, belonging to Mr Wang Hongquan who comes from Hebei Province and often shares his jewellery collection in his videos.
According to China Daily, others were “baoyu jiajie” or Sister Abalone – a wealthy socialite from Guangdong Province, and “Bo Gongzi” or Master Bo, an influencer with a penchant for the Hermes designer brand.
The move is part of the platforms’ wider crackdown on “negative value-oriented” content, a phrase used by social media platforms, watchdogs and news sites to usually describe “bad behaviour” such as cyber-bullying and misinformation.
On May 15, state media Global Times reported that many Chinese social media platforms had announced that they would be cracking down on negative content that flaunts wealth and promotes materialism.
A check by CNA on Friday (May 24) showed that Mr Wang’s account on microblogging platform Weibo has been suspended. A search for Sister Abalone’s account on Weibo also turned up empty.
According to China Daily, Mr Wang had more than 4 million followers on the short-video platform Douyin.
His posts often featured designer handbags, lavish jewellery collections, as well as frequent appearances at luxury brand events.
Dubbed “China’s Kim Kardashian”, South China Morning Post reported that he owns seven properties in a high-end Beijing residential compound.
However, Mr Wang appears also to have a separate account on YouTube under the username “xiaolaodao” or “Little Nagging” which is still in operation.
A video of him in an interview with Phoenix TV in December 2023 showed Mr Wang showing off a large jewellery box with all the glamorous accessories that he “wore recently, all kept inside”.
When asked how much jewellery he kept in his residence in Beijing, Mr Wang candidly replied: “The ones I’ve worn recently are all kept (in this box). As for how many pieces I own, I don’t know, I’ve never checked.”
