Who was Zhang Xuefeng, China’s million-dollar 'Gaokao Guru', who passed away at 41

Zhang Xuefeng, a prominent Chinese education influencer with over 30 million followers on social media, passed away from cardiac arrest. He was 41 years old and died on March 24 after a run, his studio informed in an obituary. According to CCTV News, Zhang felt unwell after a run and was rushed to the hospital. He was soon declared dead. Zhang was known for maintaining a hectic schedule. During the time he peaked in his career, he slept for only two to four hours every night. He spent so much time on his profession that he was once taken to the hospital for overworking. Doctors said that the cardiac arrest could have been because of strenuous exercise, less sleep or emotional issues. SCMP reported that he held his last live stream just hours before his death, in which he spoke with students and parents. He leaves behind his wife and 11-year-old daughter.

Who was Zhang Xuefeng?

The 41-year-old was a popular education influencer who advised children on colleges and university applications for the gaokao, China's college entrance exam. The undergraduate admission exam is highly competitive and is held over 2-4 days in early June. After taking the gaokao, students are faced with the dilemma of choosing from more than 800 majors and over 3,000 institutions - a massive two million possible combinations. Zhang charged between 11,999 yuan and 17,999 yuan (US$1,700 and US$2,600) for his services. During a previous speech, Zhang highlighted that he owned three companies. He noted that one firm was poised to generate several hundred million yuan following a future IPO, while another held an estimated valuation between 500 million and 800 million yuan (approximately US$72 million to US$116 million).

Zhang was born in Heilongjiang province and did not have many riches growing up. At one point, the family's annual income was just 600 yuan (US$87). He studied at Zhengzhou University and, after graduating, started giving tuitions. His first shot at fame came in 2016 when he explained how to choose majors for top universities. The video garnered a whopping one billion views. Zhang had a knack for making the sessions interesting, adding quirk and humour while explaining about the programmes and graduate job prospects, breaking it all down on the basis of the location of the universities. He understood the anxiety parents and students had about China’s education system and made his videos in a way that resonated with them.

Zhang was open about his views on best courses and choices

He was honest with his opinions and received flak for them as well. He once said, "If a child insists on studying journalism, I would rather knock them out and randomly pick any other major. Anything is better than journalism." He also said that anyone who does not have a family business to fall back on should not study economics and management. Zhang was also known for his charity work, as he supported thousands of underprivileged students. A memorial service would be held in Shanghai on March 28.