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    Fan Xiaoqin

    From Wikitia - Reading time: 6 min
    Fan Xiaoqin
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    BornApril 2008
    Yanhui, Jiangxi, China
    NationalityChinese
    OccupationInternet Celebrity

    Fan Xiaoqin (Chinese: 范小勤;[1] born April 2008), also known as Little Jack Ma, or Mini Ma,[2][3] is a Chinese Internet celebrity known for his resemblance to business magnate Jack Ma.

    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, advertisements, and became an Internet celebrity.

    His contract was abruptly cancelled in January 2021, and Fan moved back to Yanhui. In 2023, an online viral video of a re-impoverished Fan apparently panhandling sparked widespread anger and a debate over child stars on Chinese social media.

    Early life[edit]

    Fan Xiaoqin was born in April 2008 in Yanhui, Jiangxi, to father Fan Jiafa, an amputee basket weaver and farmer, and an intellectually and visually disabled mother.[4][3][5][1] He is the second of two children.[5] His impoverished family, who lived on government benefits, was of low social standing in the village, and the local kindergarten refused to accept him and his brother.[6][5][4] He spent his free time playing outdoors and chasing animals with his brother.[5]

    Rise to fame[edit]

    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][7] The post went viral, with Ma himself commenting that “[he] really [felt like he] was looking into a mirror.”[6][1] Tourists across China visited Fan's family home to take pictures with him.[6] State media reported that Ma had promised to fund Fan's education,[8] but a spokesperson for Ma denied this.[7][1] Online netizens donated money to Fan's family, and several businesspeople made offers to trademark Fan's face or to hire him for livestreams.[5][6] 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 self-described hypnotist Liu "Boss" Changjiang, who offered to make Fan an internet celebrity, pay him monthly wages, and get him a proper education.[5][6][3] Liu promised the family a 10,000 yuan a year, which was more than than their annual income.[6] Fan's family's social standing in Yanhui increased considerably.[5]

    In 2017, Liu brought Fan to the northern city of Shijiazhuang, which was over 1,000 kilometers away, enrolled him in a local elementary school, and hired him a nanny.[5][1] 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.[6][1][9] According to his classmates and teachers, he paid little attention in school, was absent for months at a time, and rarely took exams.[3][5] Liu allegedly did not respond to school inquiries as to where Fan was during his extended absences.[5]

    Cancellation of contract and subsequent events[edit]

    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][6][3] 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.[6][1] 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 on Douyin.[3] Fan remains a celebrity in the village; several tourists pay hundreds of yuan to film videos with him.[6]

    2023 panhandling incident

    In January 2023, a video surfaced, showing Fan, in dirty clothes, stopping cars and begging for money at an intersection in Yongfeng County, Jiangxi.[3] Huang, a relative, stated that Fan's family was well off, and that Fan had been tricked by local children into performing the act.[3] The video sparked widespread anger and a debate over child celebrities on Chinese social media.[3] Some online commentators characterized him as a victim of exploitation by company owners and his family, but others remarked that he was lucky to have experienced fame in the first place.[3]

    Personal life[edit]

    In 2019, Fan was reported to have achondroplasia (dwarfism).[10] He has an intellectual disability.[3][5] His brother, Fan Xiaoyong, was adopted by an educator who had heard of Fan Xiaoqin online in 2017.[5] As of February 2021, he is scheduled to begin attending a local elementary school, and his family remains reliant on poverty benefits.[6] His father, Fan Jiafa, saved a total of 80,000 yuan from donations and is putting it towards Xiaoqin's college fund.[5]

    References[edit]

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Koetse, Manya (2021-02-09). "Six Years After Becoming a Viral Hit, "Little Jack Ma" is Not Doing Well At All". What's On Weibo. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
    2. ↑ Alexander, Reed (2016-11-16). "Alibaba: Jack Ma isn't paying for "mini Ma's" education". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
    3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 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.
    4. ↑ 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. ↑ 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. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Zhou, Viola (2021-02-25). "Jack Ma's 12-Year-Old Lookalike Is Disappearing From Social Media". Vice. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Parmar, Tekendra. "No, Jack Ma Isn't Putting 8-Year-Old 'Mini Ma' Through College". Fortune. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
    8. ↑ Yue, Tang; Kai, Guo (November 18, 2016). "Alibaba head lends a hand to Mini Jack Ma". China Daily. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
    9. ↑ 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.
    10. ↑ Aruno, C.; Mizan Kamalina, Jummat; Aravinthan, R. (February 23, 2021). "Jack Ma's child-lookalike has dwarfism, says nanny". The Star. Retrieved 2023-07-07.

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