Fan Xiaoqin
Fan Xiaoqin (Chinese: 范小勤; born 30 April 2008), also known as Little Jack Ma, or Mini Ma,[1][2] is a teenage Chinese Internet celebrity known for his resemblance to business magnate Jack Ma. He has an intellectual disability.
Born in poverty in rural Yanhui, Jiangxi, Fan first achieved fame in 2014 or 2015 when a cousin posted a video of him on social media and noted his resemblance to Ma. He was scouted by businessman Liu Changjiang, and he moved to Shijiazhuang. Fan subsequently appeared in several movies and advertisements, and became an Internet celebrity.
His contract was abruptly cancelled in January 2021, and Fan moved back to Yanhui. In 2023, Fan went viral again after he was filmed apparently begging for money. He was manipulated into the act by local children.
Early life
Fan Xiaoqin was born on 30 April 2008,[3] in Yanhui, Jiangxi, to an amputee basket weaver and farmer and an intellectually and visually disabled mother.[4][2][5] His mother is 25 years younger than his father, and Fan Xiaoqin is the third of three children.[2] His father, the sole breadwinner of the family, was characterized as being physically and emotionally abusive by Fan's half-sister.[5][6] The local kindergarten refused to accept him and his brother because of the family's poor social standing; they relied on government assistance.[7][5][4][6] He spent his free time playing outdoors and chasing animals with his brother;[5][6] local children would not associate with them due to their poor social status.[8]
Rise to fame
.jpg)
In 2014 or 2015, a visiting relative, Huang Xinlong, posted a photo of Fan on the Chinese app QQ and noted Fan's resemblance to mogul Jack Ma.[4][5][9][1] The post went viral, with Ma himself commenting that "[he] really [felt like he] was looking into a mirror."[7] Tourists across China visited Fan's family home to take pictures with him.[7] State media reported that Ma had promised to fund Fan's education, but a spokesperson for Ma denied this.[9] Fan's village was inundated with reporters, netizens donated money to Fan's family, and several businesspeople made offers to trademark Fan's face or to hire him for livestreams.[10][5][7] In one instance, a noodle shop owner donated schoolbags, learning devices, desks, and a Red envelope of cash to his family.[5] Another educator wanted to adopt Xiaoqin and provide him with special needs education, but his offer was refused by the village cadre.[5] He adopted Xiaoqin's brother instead.[5] His family eventually signed a contract with businessman and stage hypnotist Liu "Boss" Changjiang, who offered to make Fan an internet celebrity, pay him monthly wages, and get him a proper education.[5][7][2] Liu promised the family 10,000 yuan a year, which was more than their annual income.[7] Fan's family's social standing in Yanhui improved considerably.[5]
In 2017, Liu brought Fan to the northern city of Shijiazhuang, over 1,000 kilometers away, enrolled him in a local elementary school, and hired him a nanny.[5] Fan visited his family every winter break.[5] He often appeared in low budget movies, TV programs, advertisements, and on specialized social media accounts dedicated to him, and attended high profile events and dinners.[7][11] According to his classmates and teachers, he paid little attention in school, was absent for months at a time, and rarely took exams.[2][5][6] Liu and Fan's nanny allegedly did not respond to school inquiries as to where Fan was during his extended absences.[5][10]
Cancellation of contract and subsequent events
Fan's contract with Liu's company was abruptly cancelled in January 2021; he was sent back to Yanhui; Liu ceased funding Fan's family.[5][7][2] All videos of Fan released by Liu were taken off the internet, leading to speculation that Fan's likeness was no longer profitable after Jack Ma fell out of favor with the Chinese government.[7] The incident caused an online uproar, with many commenting that he was exploited and abandoned by proprietors.[6] Subsequently, he and his brother were diagnosed as intellectually disabled.[6] In the aftermath, Huang Xinlong, Fan's cousin who made the initial social media post that brought him to popularity, began posting videos of him and his family on Douyin.[2] The videos revolve around bamboo woodworking, and are edited by a local production team.[6] Fan remains a celebrity in Yanhui; tourists pay hundreds of yuan to film videos with him.[7]
2023 begging incident
In January 2023, a video surfaced of a dirty Fan stopping cars and begging for money at an intersection in Yongfeng County, Jiangxi.[2] The video sparked widespread anger and a debate over child celebrities on Chinese social media.[2] Online commentators characterized him as a victim of exploitation by company owners and his family.[2] In response, Huang stated that Fan's family was not in dire need, and that Fan had been tricked by local children into performing the act.[2]
Personal life
Fan has achondroplasia (dwarfism).[3] He lives with his father, mother, brother and paternal grandmother, who has Alzheimer's disease.[5] He and his brother have intellectual disabilities.[2][11] His brother, Fan Xiaoyong, was adopted in 2017 by an educator who had heard of Fan Xiaoqin online.[5] He attends an elementary school in Yanhui, and his family remains reliant on poverty benefits.[6][7] His father saved a total of 80,000 yuan from donations and is putting it towards Xiaoqin's college fund.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alexander, Reed (2016-11-16). "Alibaba: Jack Ma isn't paying for "mini Ma's" education". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Lu, Fran (2023-01-25). "'Little Jack Ma': video of begging kid lookalike reignites child abuse debate". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "做了四年"小马云"后范小勤回家了：对"钱"的数额没有概念_直击现场_澎湃新闻". 澎湃. February 20, 2021. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "The little boy who looks like one of China's richest men". BBC News. 2016-11-27. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 Ming, Que (Mar 18, 2021). "The Unbearable Likeness of Being: The Story of 'Little Jack Ma'". #SixthTone. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Que, Ming (March 2, 2022). ""小马云"再次闯入流量世界_澎湃人物_澎湃新闻". 澎湃. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 Zhou, Viola (2021-02-25). "Jack Ma's 12-Year-Old Lookalike Is Disappearing From Social Media". Vice. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ↑ Lai, Xinlin (November 16, 2021). ""小马云"父亲：只有读书才能改变命运，希望儿子健康成长_快看_澎湃新闻". 澎湃. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Parmar, Tekendra. "No, Jack Ma Isn't Putting 8-Year-Old 'Mini Ma' Through College". Fortune. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Child Who Looks Like Jack Ma, retrieved 2023-07-11
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Law, Elizabeth (2021-03-20). "The misfortune of fame for 'Little Jack Ma', lookalike of the Alibaba founder". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
This article "Fan Xiaoqin" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Fan Xiaoqin. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
