Chinese entrepreneurs' striking contrast between influence and wealth

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 13, 2004

Chinese entrepreneurs' striking contrast between influence and wealth

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According to the report by Zhou Kai on Jan.8 from Shanghai Hu Run (Rupert Hoogewerf) this morning published "China's richest entrepreneurs' 2003 media influence" following his putting up "2003 Chinamoney 100 List"in collaboration with Baidu - the largest Chinese search engine in the world. Ding Lei is rated first with Zhang Chaoyang, Liu Yonghao, Xu Ming and Rong Zhijian to rank from the second to the fifth respectively.

Hu Run said the list was mapped out by using the "ballot" system constituted of 78 million of Baidu netizens as index. Choosing the 100 entrepreneurs on "2003 Chinamoney 100 List" as study subject it could show the influence of the Chinese mainland entrepreneurs among netizens and to which extent they received attention was in accord with their fortune-making power. The reason to use the number of times of being searched as criteria was because searching is the kind of initiative attention. By searching them the netizens are demonstrating their interest to understand or to learn. That reflects the "influence" of the searched, Hu Run explained.

"2003 Chinamoney 100 List" was published on October 16, 2003. The extent to which most of them received public attention was raised dramatically in Baidu October's searching index and the attention lasted till November and December. The growth of the influence of those who had just been listed was especially remarkable. For example, Li Zhaohui was searched only about dozen times before September. After October the number shot up to 781 and continued to grow and in the last two months the number went further up to 845 and 922 respectively.

Among the 100 listed entrepreneurs 81 witnessed a drop between popularity and wealth. Thirty-six of them saw their popularity rank higher than their wealth. Another 45 ranked higher in wealth than in popularity. A very obvious example is Duan Yongping who ranked 83rd on the wealth list compared to his 6th place in popularity list and who have been searched 12,280 times. Tong Jinquan was ranked 17th on the wealth list but dropped to 89th in the popularity list and he has been searched only 256 times.

Hu Run says influence and wealth are two different things. The factors that determine one's influence also include political status, properties and the amount of tax paid. However, many Chinese private business owners remain low-keyed. For example people like Liu Zhongtian, Shi Yuewu and Shi Jinxiu have been browsed less than 100 times.

Professor Gu Xiaoming at Fudan University points out, entrepreneurs are often in the spotlight if they are engaged in industries to which young people pay much attention. However things are changing too. "Take Liu Yonghao as example, who was originally engaged in the forage industry and whose popularity later grew rapidly as he repeatedly appeared in the media."

However Gu Xiaoming also points out remaining low-key remains still one of the common strategies universally practiced by entrepreneurs. "There is something else beside whoever has more wealth speaks louder."

Nevertheless, President of Baidu believes "the general trend is that popularity and wealth are tending to harmony. The result is that the really successful entrepreneurs who own more wealth will receive more attention."

By People's Daily Online

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