Chen Guangbiao

Philanthropy and controversies Chen gained fame in China for his contribution in the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. He arrived in the disaster zone early, and personally rescued 13 survivors and carried about 200 bodies out of the wreckage.

Chen donated US$25 million to charitable causes in 2008, more than half of which went to the Sichuan earthquake relief effort. For his endeavors, Forbes Asia chose him as one of the 48 leading philanthropists of the Asia Pacific region, in both 2008 and 2009.

In February 2010, Chen commissioned the construction of a wall made of 100-yuan bills, worth 15 million yuan (US$2.28 million), which was a portion of more than US$19 million in cash and goods donated by Chen and 90 other entrepreneurs. Chen is also credited with distributing a pile of cash worth US$5 million to young entrepreneurs in China, but the date is unclear and the event is rarely mentioned in media articles about Chen. A January 2013 article in The Guardian reported that Chen planned to give away 1.5 million yuan to young Chinese entrepreneurs during February of that year.

On 25 June 2014, Chen hosted an event in conjunction with numerous US charities, including the New York City Rescue Mission, Served by volunteer waiters who wore uniforms similar to those worn by Chinese soldiers in the past, the attendees listened to Chen's vocal renditions of "We Are the World" and a Chinese communist song praising Lei Feng, An anti-Chinese Communist Party group gathered outside the venue to protest the event.

Politics Chen has been described as a Chinese patriot. On 31 August 2012, he purchased an advertisement in The New York Times supporting China's claim to the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. According to Chen, the purpose of publishing the advertisement was to show the determination of Chinese entrepreneurs in defending China's sovereign rights.

Chen has attracted attention for his publicity exercises involving environmentalist politics. In December 2012, covered by a sheet of wood and steel, Chen allowed two cars to drive over him to demonstrate that the world would be better without cars. The following month, in January 2013, Chen distributed cans of fresh air in China to raise awareness of the air pollution problems in the country. Chen explained to the media: "If we don't act in the next 10 years, our descendants will have to carry oxygen tanks and wear masks all the time."

Criticism Jeremy Goldkorn has described Chen as "a clown whose so-called philanthropy appears to consist entirely of self-promotional stunts." The Southern Metropolitan Daily According to the Fast Company publication, a Chinese government directive, issued on September 29, 2010, stated: "All newspapers are forbidden from reporting negative news about Chen Guangbiao."

Personal life Chen owns over 10 homes in China, including three in Nanjing. He has a surviving younger brother, who runs a guesthouse, and sister, who is a janitor. In relation to his siblings, Chen explained in June 2014: "I have not given them money because they earn their own money. I pay for their children's school fees."