Douyu CEO Chen Shaojie's Arrest Fuels Widespread Criticism on Weibo

The sudden arrest of Douyu's CEO Chen Shaojie by Chinese police has sparked widespread reactions on Chinese social media platform Weibo, with many netizens questioning his business practices and the company's operations.

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21 November 2023

Chen Shaojie, born in 1984 and hailing from Jinan, founded Douyu Live Streaming Platform and is known for his love of games since childhood. However, his passion for gaming led him to drop out of college and pursue a career as a livestreamer. Despite being the founder of a listed company, Chen Shaojie's last public appearance was at Douyu's second quarter earnings analysis conference call in August 2023.

As word of his arrest spread, Weibo users began sharing their thoughts and reactions to the news. One netizen posted, "Several top livestreamers on Douyu have been arrested due to illegal behavior, which shows that this platform is too brazen and reckless. How can I be different? With so much money, what's wrong with me having 2.5 billion followers?" This comment reflects the general sentiment among netizens who believe Chen Shaojie and Douyu have been involved in illegal activities.

Another user reacted sarcastically to the news, "Chengdu, it seems that Wuhan still has strong connections. The court ordered the live broadcast host to compensate Douyu for hundreds of millions of yuan." This remark suggests that the person believes there may be corruption or favoritism involved in the case against Chen Shaojie and Douyu.

One memorable incident involving Chen Shaojie was when Xuxuxu Baby, a popular live streaming host on Douyu, confronted him during a live stream. She demanded that Chen Shaojie buy her gifts or she would consider transferring jobs elsewhere. In response to this pressure, Chen Shaojie actually purchased the Weibo video of Science and Technology Things. This incident is seen as an example of how Douyu and its executives have been known to engage in questionable practices in order to maintain influence over their live streaming hosts.

On November 21, Douyu announced Chen Shaojie's arrest by Chengdu police around November 16, 2023, with the company's stock plummeting ahead of trading. This added fuel to the fire of public opinion against Chen Shaojie and Douyu. One netizen commented, "Did you say I made up rumors before?" implying that they had previously doubted the news.

As word of Chen Shaojie's arrest and Douyu's business practices continues to spread on Weibo, many users are expressing their discontent with the company. One user wrote, "What does DouYou serve? I've only heard of it but never used it." This comment reflects the growing sentiment that Douyu has lost sight of its original purpose and prioritized profits over ethical practices.

Another netizen commented, "As a boss, respect is always necessary, don't think about making every penny." This statement suggests that Chen Shaojie and Douyu have been prioritizing money over respect for the law and proper business ethics.

Finally, some netizens expressed their disbelief at the alleged amount of wealth Chen Shaojie had accrued, with one user posting, "It's impossible to imagine how much cash there is. Check the image." This comment reflects a mixture of envy and skepticism towards the reported wealth of Chen Shaojie and Douyu.

In conclusion, the arrest of Douyu CEO Chen Shaojie has sparked heated reactions on Weibo, with many netizens questioning his business practices, the company's operations, and the alleged large sum of wealth he accumulated. As more information continues to emerge about this case, it remains to be seen how Chen Shaojie and Douyu will respond to the public scrutiny and whether they will take steps to address the concerns raised by netizens.