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Advice of China’s richest man goes viral
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Wang Jianlin, chairman of Dalian Wanda Group Co. (Photo provided to China Daily/File)
"You shouldn't be that ambitious. Set a small target first, like earning 100 million yuan [US$15 million]."
If you hear somebody say that, would it drive you crazy? Well, a "small" target of "100 million yuan" has become a hot internet topic after China's richest man Wang Jianlin, founder and chairman of Dalian Wanda Group, claimed $15m was a small target during a show on celebrities' daily lifestyle.
His statement went viral on social media sites such as Sina Weibo, China's answer to Twitter, with his post recording 2.4 million hits. As of 10:30 am Tuesday, a Weibo tweet with screenshots of the show has been forwarded 10,359 times while another one showing a clip of the show has been forwarded more than 8,300 times.
An article about his advice on WeChat, a WhatsApp-like messaging app, has been viewed more than 95,793 times.
Some users jokingly commented: "Now I understand, Wang's wealth of 170 billion yuan is actually made up by 1,700 small targets."
(Read also: Wang Jianlin takes 'rich' crown from Li Ka-shing)
Other said: "Thinking of his wealth, this is indeed a small target."
Some even cited Armstrong's famous line in another way, "That's one small step for Wang, but a giant leap for mankind."
Wang made the statement during an interview part of the show on how young people who want to become wealthy should plan ahead. The show also displayed Wang's collection of famous drawings in his office and what he likes to eat for lunch at the dining hall of Wanda Group.
This is not the first time that Wang has gone viral. His remarks in May on rival entertainment giant Walt Disney also sparked heated discussion online.
Wang has been shifting Wanda's focus toward the entertainment industry in recent years from its roots in real estate. Wanda signed an agreement to invest $9.45 billion to build a tourism and sports complex in eastern China on Aug 26 as its latest effort for this plan.
