13-year-old Chinese boy asserts ownership of company, pays employees

A video depicting a conversation between the boy and his teacher has gone viral in China.

A 13-year-old boy in China has asserted ownership of a company and even claimed to be responsible for paying salaries to the employees working under him, according to a report from South China Morning Post. However, the report also said that this claim contradicts the legal requirement in the country, which mandates that the designated head of a business must be at least 18 years of age.

The schoolboy claimed that his company has five to six employees. (Representational Image)(Canva.com)

A video depicting a conversation about the incident has gone viral in the country, garnering 26 million views on Weibo and 10 million views on Douyin, prominent social media platforms in China, the newspaper's report said.

The video, shared on Douyin (a Chinese equivalent of TikTok) by a secondary school teacher from Chongqing municipality in southwestern China, showed an interesting classroom assignment. In the video, the teacher assigned a homework exercise to the students, tasking them with writing a summary about a classmate whom they perceive as accomplished and successful.

According to the report that quoted Red Star News, the teacher was taken aback when several students pointed out a boy named Chen and claimed that he was already running his own company. This revelation came as a surprise to the teacher.

When the teacher asked him “What kind of business is your company engaged in?”

Chen replied, “Internet technology,” and added that his company has five to six employees. When asked by the teacher if he had indeed paid his employees, Chen also confirmed that he had done so.

The report quoted several amusing comments from users, one of which stated,“He can apply for the Guinness World Record now as the world’s youngest boss”

“When his customer asks his employees, ‘Where is your boss?’, his employees must reply, ‘He will come after school is over at 5pm’,” another comment read.

“This boss looks kind. I am wondering if his company has any vacancies as I’d like to apply for a job there,” wrote another user.

However, the video did not disclose the background or provide any details regarding how the teenager managed to establish and operate a company with paid staff while still attending middle school.

The school administration has responded to the situation by stating that they are actively investigating the boy's claims. A spokesperson from the school, quoted by Red Star News, emphasised, “He is definitely not the legal head of a company, and it’s impossible for him to be that. We are still trying to get more details.”