"Started Teaching Himself at 54 and Hit a KRW 1.9 Billion Jackpot"... Chinese Man Turns His Life Around in One Year by Putting in 10 Hours a Day

"Self-Taught AI Technology for 10 Hours a Day for a Year"
Turned His Life Around by Paying Off Debts from Business Failures

More Than 4 Million Advance Reservations Pour In

An AI short-form drama produced by a man with no professional screenwriting experience or background in video production has made headlines after recording 6.6 billion views on Hongguo, a Chinese video platform.

A 54-year-old Chinese man with no background in video production has made headlines with a short-form drama he created after teaching himself AI technology. The series has amassed 6.6 billion views, generated an estimated 1.9 billion won in commercial revenue, and reportedly allowed him to pay off debts from a failed business. Getty Images

Jimu News reported on November 6 that "after repeated business failures, 54-year-old Mr. Zhang taught himself AI technology for a year and successfully turned his life around." His short-form drama, "Jigyeipsong," ranked No. 1 on the video platform Hongguo and recorded a total of 6.6 billion views. He is reportedly said to have paid off all his debts with the proceeds from the drama.

Douyin Vice President Praises It on Social Media as "A Work Created by the Public"

A short-form drama created by a man using artificial intelligence (AI) has recorded 6.6 billion views on China's video platform Hongguo. Drama poster.

Li Liang, a vice president at Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), introduced the drama on his social media account, describing it as "a work whose key production staff have no professional background and which was created by the public themselves." The drama reportedly received a total investment of 1 million yuan (approximately KRW 190 million), surpassed its break-even point, and turned a profit.

The proceeds have also been substantial. According to an interview with the production team published by The Paper on October 29, Li Chaohua, the drama's executive producer and chief writer, said the series had generated approximately 10 million yuan (about KRW 1.9 billion) in commercial revenue.

Each season averaged 50 million views, while cumulative paid purchases reached 11.41 million. The unreleased 11th season has already received more than 4 million advance reservations.

"I Devoted 10 Hours a Day to Teaching Myself... I Am Grateful for AI Technology"

An AI short-form drama produced by a man has garnered 6.6 billion views on Hongguo, a Chinese video platform. Baidu.

Rumors recently circulated that "a former fund analyst made AI short-form dramas after losing his job," but Mr. Zhang dismissed them. He said all 30 or so members of the team lack professional backgrounds and run the team through online collaboration.

He added, "The opportunities AI offers are fair to everyone, but whether you can seize them ultimately depends on how much you immerse yourself and work hard." He said that, in addition to himself, several team members had paid off their debts through short-form dramas. He also noted that some people, including homemakers, designated drivers, small-truck drivers, and ordinary office workers, had established themselves through creative work.

Mr. Zhang said he had no experience in the video industry and, after repeated business failures, returned to his hometown to care for his ailing father. He began this work after enjoying web novels and wondering, "Could this be turned into a video?" He said, "Seeing an image created from a single line of text, and then that image turned into a video, made my heart swell with excitement. I devoted more than 10 hours every day to teaching myself. I am simply grateful to AI technology for giving people without professional backgrounds a new opportunity to turn their lives around."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.