Lee Kai-Fu, Xue Manzi Look Human In Personal Setbacks
I’d like to finish out this week by taking a look at 2 business personalities in the news these last few days, namely tech guru Lee Kai-Fu and tech financier and industry pundit Charles Xue, more commonly known by his self-given moniker Xue Manzi. Lee has just disclosed over his microblog that he has been diagnosed with cancer, while Xue’s arrest for soliciting prostitutes stems from own personal fondness for beautiful women.
Both of these cases spotlight the fact that at the end of the day, even the wealthiest and most famous business executives are human and susceptible to things like diseases and desires that affect everyone. That helps to keep things in perspective when one reads about many of China’s larger-than-life business personalities that are frequently in the news, such as Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Xiaomi co-founder Lei Jun.
Let’s start with a look at Lee, who has become an icon in the Chinese Internet world following his earlier stints at Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG). Lee left Google just before the US search giant’s high-profile spat with Beijing in 2010 over censorship, and went on to set up Innovation Works, an incubator that helps to nurture Internet start-ups.
Lee hinted on his widely watched microblog that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and media confirmed through a spokesman that indeed that was the case. (Chinese article) In his typical low-key manner, Lee simply said on his microblog that “Nothing is permanent in this world, and life has its limits. I realize that everyone is equal in the face of cancer.” The media reports said Lee is still undergoing tests, and his spokesman wouldn’t comment further on the nature of his cancer.
Throughout his career, Lee earned a reputation as a friendly and very intelligent man who was most concerned with advancing technology and less interested in politics. During the Google controversy he remained low-key and declined to comment, even though he had already left the company. But he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind on other matters, as he did quite vocally when he spoke out against a group of short sellers whose attacks he felt were unfairly harming US-listed Chinese tech firms. I know I’ll join thousands of others in wishing Lee well in his upcoming bout with cancer.
Moving on to Xue Manzi, I’ll admit that I personally decided to avoid writing about his case at first because his arrest for soliciting prostitutes seemed unrelated to his roles as angel investor and business commentator that made him famous. After all, what a person does in his free time is his own business, as long as he’s not hurting anyone. One friend did point out to me that while he wasn’t hurting anyone, Xue was still breaking the law, which of course should never be condoned.
I’ll also admit that I’ve been somewhat riveted by the case, reading many of the reports about how Xue would secretly go out and solicit prostitutes in a seedy Beijing neighborhood, and about his fondness for group sex. (Chinese article) I’ll admit as well that I’ve often had my doubts about whether Xue was really such a savvy investor, and whether many of his millions of followers on his microblog were really just “ghost fans” that one can buy for a few yuan.
Later I read one report that outlined Xue’s past as an investor, including a list of the many tech companies that he has helped through over the years. That made me realize that even if I don’t agree with many of his views or condone his personal behavior, Xue certainly has made some significant contributions through his support of China’s high-tech industry. His biggest fault was simply raising his profile too high, resulting in this embarrassing and rapid fall for a man who really hasn’t committed any major wrongdoing.
Bottom line: Lee Kai-Fu’s cancer and Xue Manzi’s rapid downfall for soliciting prostitutes highlight that all business leaders are human at the end of the day.
Related posts:
