Eliza Wong
The Dramatic Exit of a Livestreaming Titan
On August 18th, 2024, during what should have been his annual celebration, Chinese livestreaming superstar Xinba (辛巴) dropped a bombshell announcement that sent shockwaves through the e-commerce world. Choking back tears, the 33-year-old billionaire declared his fifth retirement from livestreaming, this time citing devastating health concerns that threaten to cut his life short. ‘My lungs are like those of a 95-year-old,’ he revealed to his millions of viewers, claiming doctors warned he might only have 8-10 years left if he continues his current pace.
The timing couldn’t be more dramatic—August 18th marks both his birthday and the anniversary of his spectacular rise to fame in 2019, when he married初瑞雪 (Chu Ruixue) in a celebrity-packed Beijing Bird’s Nest ceremony that doubled as a landmark livestreaming event. This year, however, the festivities turned somber as Xinba painted a grim picture of his physical deterioration: hair loss, daily medication, and adrenaline injections just to maintain energy for broadcasts.
This marks Xinba’s fifth retirement announcement, leading many to question whether this is another strategic withdrawal or a genuine health crisis forcing the hand of China’s most controversial e-commerce personality. The pattern has become familiar—dramatic exit, period of absence, triumphant return—but the health narrative introduces a new element to what skeptics call the ‘wolf cried’ strategy.
A Pattern of Strategic Retreats
Xinba’s retirement history reads like a carefully orchestrated drama designed to maintain relevance while navigating controversies. His first exit came in April 2020 following a public feud with fellow streamer散打哥 (Sandage), resulting in both announcing ‘indefinite retirement’ only to return 51 days later. The pattern continued with:
– April 2021: Retirement announcement following the fake bird’s nest scandal, claiming he was ‘defeated by capital and traffic’ before backtracking the next day saying it was just drunken words
– November 2023: Threats to ‘gradually retreat behind the scenes’ after criticizing platform rules
– April 2024: Retirement declaration following account suspensions, followed by return after 6 months
Each departure coincided with controversies that threatened his business empire, followed by returns that generated massive viewer numbers and sales figures. The cyclical nature of these exits has trained his 100 million followers to expect comebacks, making this health-related retirement particularly noteworthy for its departure from the established pattern.
The Health Narrative: Genuine Concern or Strategic Diversion?
Xinba’s detailed description of his health struggles represents a new approach to his retirement theater. His claim of 30-hour continuous直播 sessions during last year’s sales festival, supported by adrenaline injections that left him bedridden for days, paints a picture of unsustainable pressure. Medical professionals might question the lung age diagnosis—comparing a 33-year-old’s organs to those of a 95-year-old seems medically sensational—but the underlying message about the physical toll of livestreaming resonates with industry realities.
The transfer of his account to wife初瑞雪 (Chu Ruixue) suggests continuity rather than cessation, especially considering he retains 95% ownership of Guangdong Xinwahl Investment Limited according to Qichacha records. This creates the perfect scenario: emotional departure generating sympathy and attention, while business operations continue under trusted management.
The Unspoken Scandal: Carcinogenic Sanitary Napkins
What Xinba didn’t mention during his emotional farewell was the growing controversy surrounding his self-developed brand ‘Cotton Password’ sanitary products. According to New Beijing News reports, multiple batches of these products have tested positive for dangerously high levels of thiourea—a compound classified as a category 3 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The numbers are alarming: consumer collective testing revealed thiourea levels reaching 16,653.4679μg/g in some products, far exceeding safety thresholds. A user list compiled by affected consumers reportedly documents over 112 cancer cases, 10 cervical or uterine cancers, and 35 miscarriages potentially linked to the products.
This scandal potentially dwarfs even the 2021 fake bird’s nest incident that previously threatened Xinba’s empire. As his ‘first self-developed product,’ Xinba personally endorsed Cotton Password aggressively, claiming ’10 million users’ and that ‘family members all use it.’ The brand achieved remarkable success, with Information Times reporting 3.33 billion yuan in cumulative sales over 8 years.
The Corporate Response
On July 24th, Cotton Password issued statements claiming compliance with national standards and passing quality inspections. The company emphasized that Shantou market regulatory authorities had conducted tests showing products were ‘legal, compliant and qualified.’ However,维权 consumers (rights defenders) counter that the 1.7% detection rate indicates intentional addition rather than accidental contamination, and question the assessment methods used.
During Xinba’s farewell直播, moderators systematically blocked keywords including ‘Cotton Password,’ ‘thiourea,’ and ‘维权,’ suggesting the retirement announcement might serve as a diversion from the growing product safety crisis. As of August 18th, the controversial products remained available on e-commerce platforms, with sanitary napkins showing over 590,000 sales and sleep pants exceeding 10,000 units sold.
The Successor Mystery: Where Is ‘Egg Egg’?
Another curious absence during the transition直播 was Xinba’s top apprentice蛋蛋 (Dan Dan), who had previously positioned herself as his natural successor. The self-proclaimed ‘only female livestreamer with over 100 million followers,’蛋蛋 had even claimed that ‘99% of this account will belong to me in the future.’
Her disappearance from the farewell event fuels speculation about internal conflicts within the 818 family.蛋蛋 had increasingly shouldered the直播 workload as Xinba reduced his appearances, even outperforming her mentor in 2023’s annual sales rankings with single-session sales突破 1 billion yuan. The absence of the designated heir from what should have been a succession ceremony suggests possible power struggles behind the scenes.
Platform Tensions: The Kuaishou Conundrum
Xinba’s relationship with platform Kuaishou has evolved from symbiotic to strained. In his farewell speech, he specifically thanked Kuaishou founder程一笑 (Cheng Yixiao), bowing deeply and acknowledging their sometimes contentious relationship: ‘I’ve contradicted you, quarreled and made noise, but I’ve always recognized you.’
The numbers explain why this relationship matters: according to Kuaishou’s IPO prospectus, Xinba’s family accounted for 22% of the platform’s total GMV in 2019. Though this share has declined to around 4% by 2023 according to public data, his influence remains substantial. His single sessions can generate 2.1 billion yuan—30-40% of Kuaishou’s daily直播 e-commerce volume.
This creates a dilemma for the platform. Since 2020, Kuaishou has actively pursued a ‘de-headstreaming’ strategy, reducing reliance on top creators by扶持 (supporting) mid-tier streamers. By September 2021, the platform’s summer peak event showcased numerous mid-level streamers achieving million-level incomes, with media reporting they accounted for over 90% of platform revenue.
Can Kuaishou Survive Without Its Star?
China Live Streaming E-commerce Committee Vice President曹磊 (Cao Lei) believes Xinba’s genuine departure would create short-term GMV and traffic challenges for Kuaishou. The platform might face particular vulnerability with older users—Xinba’s core demographic—who remain loyal to his distinctive style.
Yet this year’s 618 shopping festival demonstrated Kuaishou’s ongoing dependence. While most small and medium merchants struggled to gain traction, Xinba’s 4 billion yuan in sales represented the platform’s standout performance. The platform wants to empower thousands of smaller sellers, but users remain captivated by Xinba’s dramatic ‘jianghu theater.’
The fundamental question remains: Can Kuaishou truly thrive without Xinba, and can Xinba maintain relevance without Kuaishou’s infrastructure? The answer may determine the future of China’s livestreaming e-commerce industry.
The Final Curtain or Another Act?
Xinba’s fifth retirement presents the most complex narrative yet—blending genuine health concerns, product safety crises, succession questions, and platform tensions into a dramatic exit strategy. The addition of medical emergency to his repertoire adds emotional weight previously absent from his strategic withdrawals.
Several factors suggest this might be more than another temporary exit: the serious nature of the health claims, the ongoing product liability issues, the apparent tensions with his designated successor, and Kuaishou’s continued de-headstreaming efforts. Yet the retention of 95% company ownership and transfer to his wife rather than a complete shutdown suggests business continuity.
The livestreaming world watches to see whether China’s most controversial e-commerce personality will stage another comeback or whether this truly represents the end of an era. Whatever the outcome, Xinba’s fifth retirement has already demonstrated the enduring power of theatrical narrative in building and maintaining commercial empires in the digital age.
For consumers and industry observers, the key question remains: When the tears dry and the cameras turn off, will the business model built on dramatic personal narrative evolve into something sustainable, or will it collapse under the weight of its own contradictions? The answer may determine not just Xinba’s future, but the direction of China’s entire livestreaming e-commerce sector.
