Chapter 311: Three Months, Nearly 4 Billion RMB Valuation

Went viral!

Swept across the entire internet!

Even Yan Li himself, though he had anticipated it, didn't expect such an effect.

Actually, this is understandable—the original ad's spokesperson was merely a rising startup star, somewhat known but not widely famous, yet he suddenly skyrocketed to fame, becoming a business elite idolized by countless young people, bringing immense benefits to his company as well.

Yan Li's fame and aura far surpass that of the original spokesperson.

Even without this ad, if Yan Li had personally teamed up with Weibo, he could still have achieved the original's effect.

Now, with this ad combined with his personal aura, the effect far exceeds the original.

In just one or two days, the ad slogan became a nationwide catchphrase, even giving rise to what was called the "Yan Li Style," sparking countless imitations and memes.

The Weibo-branded advertisement released alongside it, though not as wildly popular as Yan Li's personal ad, still brought Weibo massive new users due to interaction and bundling.

After several days of buildup, daily new user growth exceeded 500,000+, and was still subtly rising.

If this trend continues, a single ad could attract millions of users, and later, steady growth could bring in many more.

Of course, this statistic is crude—there are many other factors besides the ad, such as Weibo's own merits; if the platform is poor, even the best ad won't help.

But facts and publicity are two different things; Weibo and its official press releases omitted all those objective reasons and directly attributed Weibo's success to Yan Li's ad.

In short, exaggerate as much as possible—the more exaggerated, the more heat it generates.

To some extent, this is "deifying" someone.

Yan Li actually dislikes this kind of over-elevating behavior—it makes falling harder.

Moreover, tying a person too tightly to a platform creates mutual influence: if Yan Li runs into trouble, Weibo suffers; if Weibo runs into trouble, Yan Li suffers too.

But there's no choice—Weibo is in a phase of rapid growth, and many competitors lie ahead; Yan Li must quickly secure Weibo's first-mover advantage and can't hoard his best cards.

Even if there are downsides, they can be addressed gradually later—right now, growth comes first.

So Yan Li accepted interviews from CCTV, official media, and Weibo's official account, telling story after story about Weibo.

His personal Weibo page was officially labeled "Chairman of Weibo," and he attended an internet business forum, formally announcing his entry into the internet industry and promoting Weibo's advanced nature.

In short, his personal brand and Weibo became fully intertwined, using his commercial reputation and credibility to catalyze Weibo's growth.

Yan Li's highly visible actions, along with Weibo's explosive popularity, quickly drew widespread attention to Weibo and sparked all kinds of discussions.

Whether Weibo could replace blogs, as Yan Li claimed, became a new topic in the internet industry.

And Weibo's value became a matter of intense interest.

Some industry insiders began analyzing: since Weibo was newly established and a new social media platform, it carried strong uncertainty, but given this trend, its rapid development and promising future were clear.

Thus, Weibo's current upper and lower limits are both low—those bullish on it can overvalue it without excess; those bearish can undervalue it with justification.

Therefore, some began benchmarking against foreign comparable platforms, as well as related social platforms like Sina Blog and QQ, then combined internet and financial valuation methods for a comprehensive calculation.

The final conclusion: Weibo's valuation was approximately $100–300 million, taking a midpoint, equivalent to roughly RMB 1.5 billion.

If calculated against Forbes' earlier ranking of Yan Li's net worth at just over RMB 2 billion, in just a few months, his net worth nearly doubled.

Don't think this valuation is exaggerated—it's still a cautious, conservative figure; those bullish openly shouted $500 million to $1 billion.

This is the ecosystem of the internet industry at this stage, especially since the financial crisis hasn't broken out yet—money isn't money, and the bubbles are terrifyingly large.

Moreover, Weibo does have real merits that attract capital.

A relatively novel platform mechanism, extremely rapid growth, a founder with legendary aura, and uniqueness.

Yes, uniqueness—the Fanfou platform, with under a million users, and the struggling QQ Weibo, aren't even considered successful social platforms by the industry, let alone short-term threats to Weibo.

Weibo is China's only large-scale microblogging social media platform; in any industry, "only" and "leading" are extremely valuable terms.

For the past few days, besides interviews, Yan Li has been fielding calls from investors—too many investors are bullish and want to get on board.

The offers were so high that even Yan Li, who originally thought he didn't need money yet, felt tempted.

In a few months, the financial crisis will break out; major investment institutions will be severely damaged or become cautious, taking one or two years to recover.

So if he misses this opportunity, Weibo might still be favored by capital, but it won't taste the sweetness of the internet bubble.

Yan Li thought it over and decided he should engage cautiously.

He instructed the relevant personnel: Weibo's valuation must be no less than $500 million, and no more than 10% equity would be offered.

If they want to talk, talk; if not, forget it—later, when Weibo's user base grows further, the price and equity stakes could be anything.

Yan Li personally thought this price was a bit harsh and expected it would scare off investors—but surprisingly, some still wanted to talk.

If this financing deal goes through, Weibo will receive $50 million in funding, roughly RMB 400 million.

Not only will it save Yan Li's own money, but it will greatly accelerate Weibo's development.

At the same time, it will greatly boost morale within Weibo—many people joined Weibo for the chance to get rich; real capital investment will give them more confidence.

Of course, a Weibo with a $500 million valuation from day one will stir up many competitors eager to seize this trend.

Conversely, starting with a competition intensity of hundreds of millions will make some companies cautious, especially those with core businesses, who will consider whether to divert massive resources into a war they might not win.

If possible, Yan Li wants to deter some competitors without fighting.

…

Yan Li didn't hide the $500 million valuation financing matter. Whether it succeeds or fails, it's a publicity stunt that boosts Weibo's fame.

Yan Li himself remained relatively calm about it.

Because he has even greater confidence in Weibo's future, and he understands that valuation isn't everything—there are highs and lows; what matters is the platform's overall development.

But while he remained calm, others couldn't.

Weibo launched in December last year; counting strictly, it's been only three months—$500 million equals roughly RMB 4 billion.

In three months, building a company valued at nearly RMB 4 billion—what else is a wealth myth?

Some worship and revere him, some are fired up, some fan the flames—Yan Li's fame and aura grow ever stronger, and Weibo grows ever hotter.

Huayi, Chairman's Office

The Two Wang Brothers sat facing each other, with Feng Xiaogang, Zhang the Big Hu Zi, and several other company core members nearby—many people present, yet utterly silent.

Over the past two years, Yi'an has grown rapidly, yet never surpassed Huayi; although Yan Li's personal fortune made the list, the Wang brothers also had their own confidence.

Once Huayi goes public, their net worth will skyrocket; even if they can't match Yan Li, they won't be far behind.

Who knew Yan Li suddenly launched Weibo, and in such a short time, it became worth more than the entire Huayi?

We were told these were all entertainment tycoons—how come he's crossing industries too?!

Previously, the brothers and Yan Li were on equal footing; even when Yan Li was temperamental, he still maintained a certain respect for them. If this keeps up, soon they'll go from Big and Little Wang Zong to just Big and Little Wang.

"Bro, some of those Weibo accounts belong to our artists—should we call them and ask them to delete?"

Wang Zhonglei clenched his teeth; from his perspective, he certainly didn't want Huayi's artists helping Yan Li make money.

"Delete? Delete where? Are you trying to make him your mortal enemy?"

Wang Zhongjun glanced at his brother—it wasn't that they couldn't delete; most Huayi artists registered accounts as a favor, and since they could help, they could also leave—that was their freedom.

But since it was a favor, Yan Li would surely ask why, and they'd have to give a reason.

The artists won't take the blame for the Wang brothers—they'll definitely leak the inside story behind the scenes, and then Yan Li won't forget the grudge.

Besides, some artists won't just delete their accounts; offending Yan Li is one thing, but for someone like Huang Xiaoming, with over a million followers, the account already has tangible value and benefits his own career.

As the top star, he still has some status; if the company wants him to give it up, they should at least offer compensation.

Even if they forcibly suppress it, one or two are manageable—but if Huayi has many accounts active, and some band together, it'll be hard to handle.

Don't talk about how artists can't collaborate with internet platforms without company approval.

There's no such rule yet; in this circle, it's normal to show face, exchange favors, take on side jobs—as long as it's not excessive, companies turn a blind eye. Too strict, and resentment boils over.

Huayi's internal tensions are already high; stability comes first. That Yan guy is a master at stirring up emotions—if he finds an opening, exaggerates, and sows discord, Huayi will explode.

"So we just let it go?"

Wang Zhonglei felt reluctant, but Wang Zhongjun shook his head: "Don't worry—Sina has already contacted us, wanting exclusive cooperation. We'll have contracts, revenue, artists will be satisfied, and Yan Li won't have grounds to complain."

Making someone leave Weibo out of nowhere is an offense, but if the other side pays, Yan Li can't freeload.

Either let them go, or pay them and sign a contract.

In business operations, the company can reasonably take the lead; given the relationship between the two sides, even if Sina offers less, Huayi can still cooperate with Sina.

"Signing an exclusive deal with Sina won't be easy, though."

Feng Kuzi, legs crossed, exhaled smoke: "Will Li Bingbing sign? Xiaoming probably cares less about money than not offending Yan Li—he'll likely open two Weibo accounts. If the top star and top actress do it, will the others follow?"

Artists aren't fools; Weibo's momentum is huge, seizing the early advantage brings them benefits—they won't just abandon it.

Unless Sina throws money recklessly—but can Sina afford to throw that much?

Zhang Dahu also nodded: "I've used that Weibo too. Though I hate that brat Yan Li, I have to admit—it's incredibly convenient. Weibo is even becoming an unofficial trend in the industry."

"People gather, fans cheer, friends chat—once habits form, how do you give it up?"

They're all seasoned veterans; they may not fully understand Weibo's internet business model, but they grasp the basic logic.

Both saw clearly: no matter what happens to Weibo later, Huayi can't control Yan Li.

The two Wangs aren't blind to this—they just can't stomach the insult and the envy.

They'd spent over a decade building Huayi step by step, through tears, exhaustion, and hardship; Yan Li casually created a Weibo that surpassed Huayi.

The gap and the sting were too great!

Wang Zhonglei even said: "Bro, I think Weibo has real benefits for the entertainment industry. Yan Li has a purpose—why don't we invest in the internet too?"

Wang Zhongjun stayed silent; he thought his brother's suggestion was unrealistic, yet he couldn't help feeling tempted.

There was no way around it—a valuation of nearly 4 billion in three months made Wang Zhongjun's heart tremble.

"Bro, I really think this has potential. All Yan Li did was rely on stars—we've got stars too. Let's start a website, get some stars to promote it, build momentum, attract investment, grow big and strong."

Wang Zhonglei kept urging; Feng Kuzi and Zhang Dahu also became interested.

Nearly 4 billion? If we really made that much, we could retire right away!

"Cough. Cough."

Wang Zhongjun thought for a moment, then relented: "Don't rush—I'll ask two experts later."

…

Huayi wasn't an isolated case.

Weibo's success came too fast and too easily, and now it's tied to Yan Li's personal aura, causing many to misunderstand.

That is: find a famous person, launch a website, and wait for the money to roll in.

But in reality, Yan Li was merely a catalyst; Weibo's rise depended on its own advanced model and core selling points.

Also, credit goes to timing—if not for the string of events during the 2008 Spring Festival, plus the crucial campaigns and marketing, Weibo would never have grown this fast.

Put simply, Yan Li copied homework—and not just from one source. He's also a top student.

But those clueless underachievers think they can do the same? 99% of them will hit a dead end.

But Yan Li can't stop this—trying to block others just makes them suspect he's trying to stop them from getting rich.

The first to act was Li Yapeng.

This guy had a passion for entrepreneurship, failing repeatedly but never giving up; he'd previously lost money in the internet industry and had already quit, but Yan Li's success stirred him again.

Yan Li was just a rising star; Li Yapeng had once been far more popular than Yan Li, and he had a queen-level wife to boot.

A husband-and-wife team—how could they not dominate?

Unlike the Wang brothers, who at least thought to consult experts and look for suitable projects, this guy just slapped his forehead and jumped in.

Whether he came up with it himself or was misled, his project was high-concept: combining his wife's queen status, he planned to launch an online concert platform.

Promising viewers could watch concerts without leaving home, millions of fans interacting on-screen, breaking traditional concert limitations, and so on.

The idea sounded great, the hype was strong—but given the current market environment and technical capabilities, it was just a gimmick.

To ride the trend, Li Yapeng publicly told the media he wanted to personally learn business management from Yan Li.

Yan Li originally had no intention of responding, but Li Yapeng said he and Wang Fei could join Weibo.

These days, Wang Tianhou's name still carries weight, and she's lively with many friends; bringing her on board might attract a whole group.

So Yan Li met Li Yapeng in a friendly manner.

To be honest, this man lowered himself considerably, once truly seeing himself as a student—his demeanor humble, his tone respectful, his words full of admiration for Yan Li, and his conversation measured; in terms of dialogue, Yan Li found him quite agreeable.

Think about it: Li had managed to date so many celebrity queens—he must have had some skills, at least in interpersonal dealings.

But good attitude doesn't mean good learning.

Anyone who's been a teacher knows: some students are especially polite, respectful of their teachers, and study diligently, yet they simply won't listen to what the teacher says—they have their own logic.

Li Yapeng was exactly like that; Yan Li gave him a thorough analysis of the pros and cons of that online concert platform.

And Li Yapeng could be summed up in a few words: "You're right, but I won't listen."

Or rather, he listened—but only to the good parts, not the bad.

Yan Li listed eight drawbacks; he ignored them or downplayed them, his mind fixed entirely on the two advantages Yan Li mentioned, and he held firm to his conviction.

I told you there was potential!

This man's entrepreneurial thinking was completely different from Yan Li's; after one exchange, Yan Li gave up entirely.

Later, reporters asked Yan Li to comment on Li Yapeng's business acumen.

Yan Li had originally considered praising him a bit, but then feared this guy might claim to be his disciple—it would be too embarrassing—so he gave a meaningful evaluation.

"Yapeng isn't trying to build a company—he wants to be an entrepreneur."

This man viewed entrepreneurship far too superficially; he himself lacked the qualities of a successful entrepreneur. His relentless pursuit of it was likely less about building something than about chasing the halo of being an entrepreneur.

Besides Li Yapeng, several other celebrities had also dabbled in internet projects to varying degrees.

But few were in full control like Li Yapeng; most merely invested their fame and capital, serving as so-called partners.

Among them were quite a few acquaintances: Xiao Yanzi, Huang Xiaoming, Ren Quan, and Huang Shengyi.

This kind of business wasn't for just anyone—without fame and connections, it was just asking for humiliation.

Huang Shengyi was especially marginal—she probably had a "mastermind" pulling the strings behind her.