The toothpaste ad on the big screen in Times Square.
Ren Yueli was once a street singer in an underground passage in Xidan, in downtown Beijing. Her interpretation of the song "Angel's Wings" went viral online in 2009. Netizens named her the "Xidan girl."
More recently, Ren once again entered the public eye. This time it was not her songs but her successful transformation into a businesswoman that drew attention. A toothpaste advertisement for the brand of a toothpaste that Ren now manages got played on the big screen in New York City’s Times Square.
Well-known writer Su Qin said on her Weibo that Ren’s business enterprise had already propelled her into the stratum of multimillionaires. "Xidan girl" seemed to approve of the writer’s message, re-posting from her Weibo with a smiling emoji added at the end.
However, Ren said in an interview with Chengdu Commercial Daily: "It is an exaggeration to say that I'm a multimillionaire. That's just the valuation of our products. Business is sort of a secondary profession for me; I am still a singer, and that's my main career."
Ren said the idea to invest in toothpaste came from a friend of hers, who successfully convinced Ren to get involved. Compared with her singing career, Ren said business has been going very smoothly: "I have the best partner and the best team, so I do not worry about sales or recognition," said Ren. When asked about the future, she made no secret of her ambition. Ren said: "I want to be the next Dong Mingzhu!” Dong is a leading Chinese businesswoman who runs Gree Electric Appliances.
Ren Yueli and Dong Mingzhu, a leading Chinese businesswoman who runs Gree Electric Appliances.
Pan Shiyi, Chairman of SOHO China, visits the enterprise of Ren Yueli.
Ren sings in the underground passage in Xidan, in downtown Beijing. (File Photo)
Ren performs on a TV show. (File Photo)
Ren sings in the underground passage in Xidan, in downtown Beijing. (File Photo)
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