雷科技
News dated July 27: Li Yaode, an internet celebrity, officially received the 500,000-yuan cultural tourism reward awarded by Xizang authorities. After tax deductions, he donated 300,000 yuan to the Red Cross Society of China Chongqing Branch and another 100,000 yuan to the Red Cross Foundation of China.
He additionally took 20,000 yuan out of his own pocket, transferring 10,000 yuan apiece as gratuities to two Chongqing taxi drivers who accompanied him throughout the trip, fulfilling his previous public pledge.
Image source: Douyin
This whole story began like a classic uplifting online tale. A young man from Chongqing hailed a taxi on a whim and said he wanted to travel all the way to Lhasa. He filmed videos throughout the journey, racking up more than 21 million likes, which qualified him for the top-tier reward granted by Xizang’s cultural tourism authorities.
When the reward was first announced, plenty of people suspected it was nothing but a marketing gimmick. Now the cash has actually landed in his account. Following the usual script, he could either capitalize on his viral fame to gain followers and monetize his traffic, or donate part of the money to win public goodwill. Either path would have wrapped up the whole incident nicely.
No one anticipated a dramatic plot twist merely days after the funds arrived.
Instead of updates on how he planned to use the bonus, news broke that his ex-wife had come forward demanding repayment, abruptly turning this heartwarming cultural tourism story into tabloid fodder about the internet celebrity’s private life. The whole internet was engulfed in fierce debate.
A woman claiming to be Li Yaode’s ex-wife posted a lengthy appeal for payment on social media, catapulting him straight into the center of public controversy.
According to the ex-wife, the couple had divorced years ago, and she obtained full custody of their child. Li Yaode had long fallen behind on child support payments stipulated in their divorce agreement, with total arrears adding up to over 100,000 yuan.
She had reached out to him many times before, yet he kept putting off payment, claiming unstable income from his social media accounts and tight personal finances.
Now that he had received the 500,000-yuan tourism bonus and was widely praised online for his integrity and generosity, she could no longer stay silent. She urged Li Yaode to honor his paternal obligations and settle the overdue child support.
To back up her claims, she shared screenshots of the divorce agreement and past chat logs. One line struck a chord with countless netizens: You have money to travel extensively and film videos, money to announce charitable donations, yet you claim you cannot afford child support for your kid?
Image source: Weibo
These remarks immediately set public opinion ablaze.
Shortly before his ex-wife spoke out, Li Yaode had stated during a livestream that he had no intention of keeping the 500,000-yuan bonus for himself. He planned to donate all the money to public welfare, with part going to disaster-stricken areas and the rest funding children’s charity programs.
The coexistence of his pledge to donate the full 500,000 yuan for charity and unpaid child support totaling more than 100,000 yuan split netizens sharply into two camps.
Some accused him of hypocrisy, arguing that he put on a generous front to the public yet neglected his parental duties to his child. Others claimed child support was a private family matter that ought not be aired online, adding that his willingness to donate still reflected good intentions.
Soon after the controversy snowballed, Li Yaode went live to respond to the incident. He did not deny the divorce or overdue child support. He admitted having a child and falling behind on child support payments for a period of time.
He explained that his social media business failed to gain traction in previous years, leading to unstable income and genuine financial hardship; he had no intention of deliberately defaulting on payments.
He stated on camera that he would contact his ex-wife immediately after receiving the bonus to pay off all outstanding child support in a lump sum, promising to pay every cent owed to their child.
He also vowed to honor his earlier charitable donation plans and would not backtrack due to the current dispute.
Image source: Douyin
In the opinion of xiaoleibbb (ID: xiaoleibbb), fulfilling child support obligations is an unbreakable bottom line. No matter how flawless one’s public charity image may be, it can never outweigh fundamental responsibilities.
Another point is the price of online traffic. Public personas of internet celebrities can never withstand close public scrutiny.
Li Yaode used to be merely a comedy blogger with several million followers, and few dug deep into his personal life back then. However, one viral video pushed him into the mainstream spotlight. As public attention surged, events from his past inevitably resurfaced.
It is only fair that those who reap the benefits of online fame must also bear intense public examination.
Turning to the cultural tourism reward itself, the policy was originally designed to encourage content creators to promote Xizang. The video’s proven promotional impact speaks for itself. With hundreds of millions of views, it fueled a major travel boom for Xizang, making the 500,000-yuan reward well worth the investment.
Meanwhile, xiaoleibbb (ID: xiaoleibbb) holds that issues involving a creator’s personal morality are private matters and should not be conflated with official promotional incentives.
In closing, Lei poses a question to readers: How do you distinguish between scandals over internet celebrities’ private lives and their sincere charitable intentions? Should these two matters be judged separately?
On July 31, ChinaJoy 2026—under the theme “Exploring with AI”—officially kicks off.
A total of 900 entertainment-related exhibitors—including Tencent, NetEase, Sony, Qualcomm, Micron, and Qingxian—jointly present a global feast for the entertainment industry;
How will hardware-tech brands—including AI-powered devices, peripherals, robotics, displays, and chipmakers—collaborate across sectors with game developers to deliver next-generation entertainment experiences?
Led by Founder & Chief Editor Luo Chao, the LeiTech ChinaJoy 2026 reporting team will soon descend upon Shanghai—stay tuned for comprehensive coverage.
