Li Jiaqi
Li Jiaqi in 2020
Born
Li Jiaqi

(1992-06-07) June 7, 1992

Li Jiaqi (Chinese: 李佳琦; pinyin: Lǐ Jiāqí; born 7 June 1992),[1] known in English as Austin Li, is a Chinese streamer, social media influencer, and entrepreneur focusing on beauty and cosmetics. He is often referred to as the "Lipstick King" (Chinese: 口红一哥; pinyin: Kǒuhóng yīgē).[2] Li is known for the large volume of sales his streams generate.

Early life and education

Li was born in Yueyang, Hunan province.[3] Li attended Nanchang University, studying dance, but left before earning his degree.[4]

Career

Li began his career as a L’Oréal shop assistant in Nanchang, Jiangxi province.[5][6] Li began streaming on Taobao in 2017,[6] and by the end of the year had earned an estimated $1.53 million.[7]

Li gained fame for his marathon streams, wherein he would apply several hundred different brands of lipstick to his lips over the course of several hours.[7] (As of 2018, Li holds the Guinness World Record for most lipstick applications within 30 seconds — four.)[8] On Singles' Day in 2021, Li's 12-hour livestream on Taobao generated $1.7 billion in collective sales.[2] During one livestream, he sold 15,000 lipsticks in the space of five minutes in a competition against Alibaba CEO Jack Ma.[5]

Li's streams are noted for his florid descriptions of products and his colorful wording and catchphrases. He states his time at the L'Oréal shop allowed him to hone his ability to describe beauty products, and is noted for using terminology like "a colour that is tender like water" and "crystal-like stars".[6] A signature catchphrase of his is "OMG sisters, buy this!" (Chinese: OMG姐妹们买它; pinyin: OMG jiěmèimen mǎi tā!) for products he is particularly fond of.[9][5] Li Jiaqi's charisma and candid reviews of beauty products have melted people's hearts. He is the undisputed leader of the live e-commerce industry. The e-commerce anchors he represented have empowered and illuminated traditional e-commerce again during Covid-19.[10]

By March 2021, he had over 35 million followers on TikTok and seven million on Sina Weibo, earning an estimated $10–20 million per month.[5] By June 2022, he had 170 million followers.[11]

He was listed on the 2021 Time 100 Next list by American magazine Time.[12]

During a livestream on 3 June 2022, Li presented an ice cream cake that resembled a tank on air, and the show abruptly went offline, prompting speculation from viewers and fans. The prevailing explanation on Chinese social media, echoed in The Wall Street Journal, was that the tank-like cake was considered reminiscent of Tank Man, a figure from the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre of 4 June 1989 subject to censorship in China. Li stated on Weibo that the stream had ended due to a technical glitch. His next scheduled livestream was not aired.[11] Bloomberg News noted that Li had refrained from livestream on 4 June in previous years, seemingly to avoid offending censors.[13] Following the incident, queries for Li's name on e-commerce sites and search engines return blank results.[14]

The BBC reported on the incident that many of Li Jiaqi's fans did not understand why his stream cut off when the tank ice cream appeared as they lacked awareness of the Tiananmen Square events and were subsequently making queries on social media to try to understand. Sina Tech quoted some relevant persons that products on Taobao associated with Li Jiaqi had been adjusted by the host and sellers without input from Taobao.[15]

On September 20, Li resumed his livestreaming on Taobao.[16]

Personal life

Li is known to keep details of his personal life to himself.[5] Li has not expressed any political views.[17] Li has five Bichons Frises, who are also managed under the pet lifestyle brand Never's Family.[18]

Li lives in Shanghai. In 2020, he obtained a Shanghai hukou under a city government program designed to attract skilled residents.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "李佳琦的下半场". Xinhua. 7 June 2020. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 Tan, Huileng. "China's Lipstick King sold an astonishing $1.7 billion in goods in 12 hours — and that was just in a promotion for the country's biggest shopping day". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  3. ↑ He, Qi (18 May 2021). "Celebrity livestreamer reaps benefits of inclusivity - Chinadaily.com.cn". China Daily. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  4. ↑ "南昌大学回应李佳琦学历风波：提前离校 予以结业". Lianhe Zaobao. 11 November 2021. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Teh, Cheryl. "Meet China's 'Lipstick King,' an outspoken 28-year-old e-commerce streamer who fans adore and brands fear". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Huang, Alice (9 March 2020). "Who is Li Jiaqi, China's millionaire 'Lipstick King'?". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Male beauty blogger finds road to wealth on Taobao". China Daily. 10 January 2018. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  8. ↑ "Most lipstick applications in 30 seconds". Guinness World Records. 6 September 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  9. ↑ Liu, Yujing (12 December 2020). "李佳琦申请"OMG买它"作为声音商标，为什么被驳回了？". Jiemian (界面新闻) (in Chinese). Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  10. ↑ Si, Ruo (2021), Si, Ruo (ed.), "Methodology of Influencer Marketing in Livestreaming E-Commerce", China Livestreaming E-commerce Industry Insights, Singapore: Springer, pp. 53–76, doi:10.1007/978-981-16-5344-5_3, ISBN 978-981-16-5344-5, S2CID 240592512, retrieved 19 November 2022
  11. 1 2 Fan, Wenxin (5 June 2022). "Chinese Influencer's Ice-Cream Pitch Inadvertently Introduces Fans to Tiananmen Square Massacre". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  12. ↑ "2021 TIME100 Next: Li Jiaqi". Time. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "Top China Livestreamer Goes Offline Before Tiananmen Anniversary". Bloomberg News. 6 June 2022.
  14. ↑ Palmer, James (8 June 2022). "Why a Top Chinese Influencer Got Taken Offline". Foreign Policy.
  15. ↑ "Li Jiaqi: China Lipstick King sparks Tiananmen questions". BBC News. 7 June 2022.
  16. ↑ ""消失"109天后，李佳琦突然低调回归直播间". 每日经济新闻. 20 September 2022 – via 新浪网.
  17. ↑ "Li Jiaqi: China Lipstick King sparks Tiananmen questions". BBC News. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  18. ↑ "Why luxury brands are smart to target China's booming pet economy". South China Morning Post. 10 January 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  19. ↑ Chen, Yilin (6 July 2020). "Trending in China: 'Lipstick King' Li Jiaqi Settles in Shanghai, Prompting a Rethink of 'Talent'". Caixin Global. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
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