There is someone who seems to care about America’s poor and homeless more than President Barack Obama, and this person isn’t even American himself.
Chinese billionaire Chen Guangbiao — aka Brother Biao, the “Most Influential Person of China” or “Most Prominent Philanthropist of China” — is back in America this week, but not to try to buy The New York Times. Instead, he’s hosting a high-profile charity event.
If you think he is joking, you better check the full-page advertisement in last Monday’s New York Times. Posted both in Chinese and English and designed by Guangbiao himself, the ad said that on Wednesday, June 25, Brother Biao will be “teaming up with a famous American charity to host a charity luncheon for 1,000 poor and destitute Americans, who each will receive 300 dollars.” In order to make every participant satisfied, he also promises to sing “We Are The World” at the event.
Brother Biao is a recycling and demolishing tycoon who is among China’s Top 400 richest people, but he is better known for his thought-provoking philanthropy — he had a wall made from 16 tons of cash and gave out cans of “fresh air” to people in smoggy Beijing. He has blamed other wealthy Chinese billionaires for colluding with the government and destroying the environment. He is “trying to stimulate them to do good.” He even regards himself as a modern-day Lei Feng, a selfless Chinese soldier also famous for philanthropy. Brother Biao pushes us further to make this connection by placing Feng’s picture in his advertisements.
If you think you are one of the poor, as many other New Yorkers do, and plan to stop by the lunch, make sure you RSVP via e-mail, according to the ad. I am not sure how many of America’s poor have access to computers or New York Times subscriptions, but according to Brother Biao’s Sina Weibo, a Chinese version Twitter, more than 2,000 “poor and destitute” Americans signed up a week in advance of the pricey lunch. Brother Biao said he would prepare the money for 1,500 people just in case.
Many people are wondering why Brother Biao tries to help Americans instead of Chinese. He gave us a clear answer in the South China Morning Post: “I want to spread the message in the U.S. that there are good philanthropists in China and not all are crazy spenders on luxury goods.” Some even criticized his not helping the Chinese first, but Brother Biao said he is doing the right thing. “U.S. philanthropists donated to China’s disasters; why can’t we help the poor in the U.S.? It will also improve Sino-US ties.”
Well, well, Brother Biao never lives without a limelight, and he has all the hero-style answers to his crazy philanthropy. But I just doubt with one question: “Are you sure you are not coming for New York Times?”
Yiping Yang is a contributing journalist for TheBlot Magazine.
