Chinese Entrepreneur Urges Staff To Become Influencers, Offers Cash For Followers

A Chinese tech entrepreneur has been drawing attention for telling employees to build personal social media brands. He has also tied bonuses directly to follower counts, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. Yu Hao, 39, founder and CEO of Dreame Technology, is popular in the county as "crazy boss" for various online stunts, and the scheme of rewarding employees for their social media growth is one of them. According to the report, the entrepreneur rolled out a plan that rewards staff with roughly Rs 1.4 lakh for every 10,000 followers they gain online.

Dreame, known for high-end robot vacuum cleaners and smart home appliances, was founded in 2017 and has grown rapidly. The company was once valued at around $6.6 billion and is reportedly targeting a $22 billion valuation by the end of 2026.

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Why is he pushing employees to grow online presence?

Yu's pitch is simple. He believes that more followers for workers means more reach for the company. Under the incentive structure, compensation is linked to social media traction, which eventually turns personal accounts into unofficial marketing channels.

The move has sparked mixed reactions inside the company. One employee, quoted by SCMP, joked, "In a big company, you have no choice," while urging colleagues to follow each other's accounts to "save lives".

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Yu's online stunts

Social media push is not the only thing. He posted AI-generated images of himself in women's clothing to drive engagement, part of a broader push to boost visibility for Dreame. In another video, he described billionaire Elon Musk as his "arch-rival", and also claimed that he would become the world's richest person within five years.