The terms 'nepo baby' or 'nepo babies,' which describe the children of celebrities, have been a hot topic on the internet lately. However, social class has existed long before such slang had even been invented.
China too, has its fair share of nepo babies or 'second-generation rich kids (富二代).'Here are six who frequently appear in the news, sometimes for the wrong reasons.
The son of world-renowned martial arts superstar Jackie Chan, Fang followed in his father’s footsteps and tried his hand in the entertainment industry. However, neither his movies nor music records have earned success.
1
Jaycee Chan akaFang Zuming(房祖名)
Fang is simply remembered asJackie Chan’s mediocre son, if not for being embroiled in a drug scandal. In 2014, he was arrested in Beijing for being in possession of and distributing marijuana. He served 6 months in prison and ended his career in China, a country with strict drug laws.
But don’t feel too bad for the actor. He is still living an affluent life in Taiwan, and is often photographed driving luxury cars and smoking expensive cigars.
Arthur Chen is the son of award-winning director Chen Kaige, whose most famous work is historical drama Farewell My Concubine (1993).
2
Arthur Chen akaChen Feiyu(陈飞宇)
Chen first went viral for making an awkward appearance on a reality TV program with his parents. His later work also failed to gain any major traction until his hit TV series Lighter and Princess in 2021.
The daughter of pop superstar Faye Wong and rock musician Dou Wei, Leah Dou is known for her eye-catching face tattoo and short hair. She isn't someone who conforms to mainstream aesthetics or public expectations.
3
Leah Dou aka Dou Jingtong(窦靖童)
Dou started creating music from a young age and has released two English albums. Her music has a more niche following compared to her parents.
The son of famous crosstalk artist Guo Degang, Guo Qilin dropped out of school at the age of 15 to study and perform crosstalk under his father’s watch.
4
Guo Qilin(郭麒麟)
However, his success has mostly come from playing a stingy yet adorable rich kid in the 2019 TV show Joy of Life (庆余年).
The youngest daughter of Ren Zhengfei, who founded Chinese tech giant Huawei, Yao graduated from Harvard University with a degree in computer science, and surprised the world by launching a career in entertainment.
5
Annabel Yao(姚安娜)
Her major publicity blitz included a music video drop and the release of a mini-documentary about her life struggles, both of which met severe backlash in China. Yao was criticized for not acknowledging her privilege.
However, she has been able to build a better image for herself since portraying a young girl from the countryside in new TV series Meet Yourself.
Possibly one of China’s most notorious nepo babies, Wang Sicong is the son of Wang Jianlin, the chairman of China’s largest real estate developer called Wanda Group.
5
Wang Sicong(王思聪)
The founder of Invictus Gaming, one of China’s top esports leagues, Wang frequently appears in the news for flaunting his wealthandpartying with beautiful influencers.
An extremely polarizingcharacter, Wang is known for making controversial and inciting statements on Weibo. While some have praised him for having the courage to state the truth, others believe that he is spoiled, and only dares to attack others given his privilege.
Click the icon below to read more about the six famous nepo babies we listed.