Super Rich Youth Complains About Becoming Poor

From Xinhuanet:

Testimony of suddenly becoming poor overnight by a “Prince” from a family with hundreds of millions, leads to wild human flesh search by netizens

One stone caused thousands of waves, just what kind of person is this “Prince”? Is it a hoax? Will he appear again? With regards to the “Prince” and his family, netizens had a wide range of comments, some sympathetic, some scornful, some denouncing, some encouraging, some in anticipation, and netizens even divided into two large camps, the “anti-Prince party” and the “Prince defense group.”

The whole story of the “Prince” incident:

• 2008 December 2, a netizen with the ID “Heaven’s Prince” posted a piece called “Suddenly poor overnight, everyone save me,” stating that because of the financial storm, his family went from several billion in assets down to “dire straits” of only millions in assets.
• 2008 December 4 morning, a netizen posted the “Discussion: Concerning the 4th’s main headline Heaven’s Prince” piece, reproaching “Heaven’s Prince” for not appreciating his fortunate situation, and receiving many netizen’s support.
• 2008 December 4 at night, “Heaven’s Prince” changed the subject of “Suddenly poor overnight, everyone save me” to “Suddenly poor overnight, I will not give up,” and even posted a new topic “To the 200,000+ friends who read my post” as a response.
• On the same night, the “Regarding ‘Suddenly poor overnight, I will not give up’ truth investigation” post topic for netizens involved in the human flesh search, questioned the truth of “Heaven’s Prince.”
• 2008 December 5, netizen “花吃了那女孩儿” posted a topic publicly supporting “Heaven’s Prince,” calling for netizens to return to reason when looking at this matter.

Here is the original post by the “Prince”:

From 19Lou:

Suddenly poor overnight, I will not give up!!!

Just last month, I was still Zhejiang XX Group Company’s young master, but now I am nothing, and going forward, I do not know how I should live. My family’s company was built on foreign trade/export, has 4 subsidiaries, mainly running textile clothing import and export, real estate, hotels, and telecommunications products. Under Dad’s meticulous management, the company’s returns were always very good. However, starting from the second half of last year, the export business profits continuously dropped, until eventually the clothing factory’s business collapsed. This year, the real estate company also encountered various difficulties, depending on all the profits earned by the hotel and telecommunications to survive. Up until the last 10 days of last month when the company officially announced bankruptcy. I am really having a hard time, but I am even more aware that there is no one having a harder time than Dad, because this was a company that Dad spent 20 difficult years building. I too watched Dad grow the company into a true kingdom. But now the kingdom has been destroyed, gone, and I will never again see Dad’s look of pride. I want to put a portion of the blame on the economy of these past two years, but now there is no point. there is no more company, there are no more stock shares. I have lost too many things but seeing Dad these past two days, he has become much more haggard, as if he has aged 5 years. These past few days have truly been suffering…

Unable to turnover capital led to the company’s bankruptcy. Because there was too much debt, the bank was not willing to lend money to us. Dad had no choice but to sell the hotel to pay back debts, and what more, he also sold the villa/house he prepared for when I get married!!! [The husband and his family are expected to prepare a house for the couple's marriage] Ha, but what can I do? Right now, the clothing factory has been closed down by the bank, the real estate company also closed, and the telecommunications company has been taken over by another company. Speaking of telecommunications, I truly hate and am really angry. I will not announce their company’s and their boss’s name and contact information here, I just want to say XX Group Company Director and XX Telecommunications Company Chairman, you guys truly have less heart than wolves! Think about when your company was facing bankruptcy, who saved you guys then? It was my Dad! Moreover, my Dad did not save you just once!!! When my Dad’s company meets difficulty, you guys treat us this way? I truly feel bitterly disappointed for my Dad. Another thing, our group company Chief Inspector Luo and real estate company Chief Li, when the company needed you guys the most, your guys’ betrayal makes me very angry!!! There is not much point to saying these things now, but I just do not understand why it was not their companies that went bankrupt but our’s instead?

“Young master” has been the form of address I have gotten used to since I was born until now, but as of today I can only hear two people call me that. Right now I really do not know what to do. Going to the company/office in the past, everyone all called me “young master,” other than my parents. My home went from 10 people to seven people today. Now, the only things left for my family is a house that we have lived in for almost 10 years, our bank deposits is only seven figures now, Mom’s BENZ, Dad’s BMW, and my Porsche Boxster. Only having these things now, am I supposed to feel happiness? I am very desperate!!! To reduce expenses, Dad dismissed three bodyguards, only keeping “A-KING,” because now our family cannot afford to pay their 500,000 yearly salary. “A-KING” truly is loyal and has been with my father for over 10 years, at his side protecting him. Today, he voluntarily asked that his 150,000 yearly salary be reduced to 50,000, which truly moved me. We also got rid of one of our family’s nannies, only keeping Zhang “ayi”, who will change from working 24 hours to 12 hours. I really am not used to my lifestyle now. Can it be that without money, one loses everything? Dad said to me, although our family does no longer has money now, it can still come again. He said he plans on investing the remaining money with a friend for gold mining. It was very difficult to bear hearing this, seeing the kingdom that Dad spend 20 years building disappear like this. I really want to cry, feeling heartache for Dad. Only “A-KING” and Zhang “ayi” call me “young master” now. Can it be that I am no longer the “young master?”

In this world, what is there left for me? Only a five-digit bank account. My lovely Boxster is still here, very satisfied. I see the Patek Philippe is still on my wrist, a birthday gift given to me by Dad last year! Even though the company’s returns were not very good at the time, he still bought it to give to me. Opening the closer, I look at my clothes and now wonder are they mine or not? Do I still have the qualifications to wear them? And those pairs of sumptuous leather shoes that I have never really worn, I actually have thoughts of selling them. Yesterday, I went to Hangzhu building [probably a mall], and entered the store of the brand I buy the most of. The salesladies were all very enthusiastic, because they all recognize me, and I always buy when I go to their store. It was obvious that they do not know that my family has gone bankrupt. I saw a set of clothes I liked and the saleslady said it was 20,000+ RMB. I said “what?!” Then I became depressed and in the end, I actually did not purchase. What is wrong with me? If it was my old self, I would have immediately paid without saying two words. After returning home, I felt really embarrassed, because others will now look down on me. I really do not know how I did not buy it!!!

The friends around me are also too powerful, and the true ones are only a few. Those friends who normally appear to be my brothers no longer talk to me once they learn of my family’s situation, nor do they ask me to go out and play anymore. And each and every one of them are spendthrifts and dandies who do nothing all day! Why do their families not go bankrupt? God, you are too unfair. I want to thank Lin. Over the past few days, only you have comforted me, cared about me…thank you, you truly are my good friend!!! Thinking of Sha, who is studying far away in England, I believe we can no longer be together, even though we have been arranged by our parents. But now my family has nothing, and I believe Director Wang will no longer entrust you to me, because my family now has no money, no power.

I really do not know what my future life will be like. These few days, I have been looking online for work. However, the better ones are all my Dad’s friends’ companies. How can I go to their companies to work? Sorry, I cannot do it!!! I never thought I would have to find a job by myself??? So sad. I am preparing to calm my heart and relax for awhile, or start a small company by myself! But right now, I really want to cry, yet I cannot find someone I can trust to listen to me pour our my thoughts/feelings…right now, I do not dare to leave the house, scared of meeting strangers, and that self-confident young master is no more, that outstanding young master is no more, and that young master that would make others envious is no more.

Having written to this point, there may be some who already know who I am, but I am not willing to reveal my real identity and my family’s company. Doing so would be a type of disgrace to me and my family…

Comments from 19Lou: (probably selected by the BBS moderator)

云囡囡:

In the midst of this financial crisis, remain brave, and fight side by side with your Dad!

JAZZ沙发:

Sometimes you need to let go of your pride, do not flaunt your superiority, undergo self-imposed hardships, it is very practical, and it will get better.

沙发土豆0825:

If what you say is the truth…I hope you can try hard to live…you still have a house, a car, and savings. How many people in this world, walk to work, live in a rented apartment, and have no savings. Yet they still try hard to continue living!

CRY727:

A bank account with 7 digits to most people is already considered being rich. What you need now is to adapt to society. People need to depend on themselves and not money. At this time, you must pull yourself together, leave behind whatever status and pride you had, and seriously think of a way to help your father start over again. There is nothing that one cannot get over. Even if you cannot return to the young master you once were, you will have won experience. This kind of experience is not something anyone can have. I believe you will become mature and stable! Jia you!!!

CRY727:

If you continue being entangled in problems of money, your entire life will probably only be these things, maybe even less! You yourself said it was the past, that is has already happened, so what you must face is the present, the future. My idol has a good saying: “When I witness a time’s brilliance, I also witness this time’s end, and the next will probably just be myself” A person needs a sense of crisis. The things you have not encountered does not mean they cannot happen. There is no forever. Only by grasping the present can you succeed.

PS: Your money is many times what my family has, I cannot even begin to envy you.

penny_ph:

First sell your car, then take the money and start a career/business, and rise again.

禁止发言257:

There was a person who was born a prince, and his father was one of the few in the entire country with so high a status. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side. At the his poorest moment, he was worth negative 900 million USD, but he still overcame it, and now he is worth several billion. His daughter is also the world’s number one richest single. His name is Donald Trump. Another person is Chinese, called Shi Yuzhu, whose life went up and down, but now is still a billionaire, a genius who falls but can still get back up. “Lou zhu,” do you yourself have a true understanding of wealth? If you do, then all you need is to add a super strong heart, and then you may be revived. To normal people, being a millionaire is already pretty good. What is unbalanced is your attitude. Either kill yourself or redeem yourself.

幸福的小白:

Reading the newspaper two days ago, was a story about the youngest CEO, a girl, 21-years-old, I forgot the name…
Her family was a distinguished Taiwan conglomerate, but one day they went bankrupt…
She worked several jobs in Singapore, her only goal: must succeed!
Now, she has finally accomplished it! All the rich people know her very well…
She is the youngest in that group of mature/old people…
A very early-maturing CEO, and I admire her perseverance from the bottom of my heart, and admire her far-sightedness.
Even though I do not know who you are, or for what reasons, but I feel at this time you need to be a little more sensible/mature, and help your parents carry some of the burden.
You need to know, 7 digit [assets] is an astronomic figure for many families, and yet are they not still happy, diligently working?
That it is a drop/fall is true, but you need to learn how to adjust/adapt. This incident has helped you see clearly who you can trust and who you cannot trust. That is a good thing, you should rejoice.
From your family’s assets and experience, your starting point for rebuilding your empire is already much higher than many people.
As a man, if you cannot bear responsibility, no one will respect you.
It is not because you have no money, but because you have no ability, no will-power.

爱上唱唯一的牛:

Try putting down your pride, and start over again. The past you, because of your father’s protection, could walk anywhere and be the proud young master. If you work hard, the future you, through your own hard work, can also make others see you with new eyes. That is truly winning other people’s respect and admiration!! Only through your family’s downfall can you truly realize who amongst the people beside you are your true friends, and what lover is worth accompanying for your entire life. In society, there are many people who “worship those higher than them, step on those lower than them, and ingratiate themselves with influential people”~ This [incident] will also give you experience, so in the future you will know how to read people~~ “The clearest spring water always flows out from the darkest place”~ This saying I really like, and give to you, hoping you will quickly pull yourself together, and live earnestly.

louhongdong:

Face reality.
Friend, do not blame everyone except yourself. Nowadays, there are too many snobbish people in society. The important thing is to adjust your own attitude. You are not a child anymore, you need to face life from now on by yourself. Whatever you have lost now, as long as you diligently go struggle for it, does not mean you will not succeed in the future. If you are a man, do not be depressed. Go face, go be diligent, go struggle, jia you.

dingo4142:

LZ, welcome to the world. Savor for a moment what real life is like.

See more rich Chinese:

• Girl Says No Car No Marriage, Boy Buys Ferrari 360
• China’s Richest Man & Gome Founder Arrested
• Girl Wants Wet Nurse To Feed Her Cat Human Milk
• Daughter of Shanxi Coal Mine Boss Shows Off Her US Lifestyle