Show Us the Money

The generosity of Chen Guangbiao (陳光標)， chairman of Jiangsu Huangpu Renewable Resources Utilization (江蘇黃埔再生資源利用有限公司) and one of China’s most charitable entrepreneurs — who claims to have made almost RMB 1 billion (USD 153.7 million) worth of charitable donations over the past decade — has recently drawn scrutiny from the Chinese media. At least three major publications， including China Business Journal (中國經營報)， Southern Metropolis Newspaper (南方都市報) and China Times (華夏時報) have run stories alleging irregularities in some of Chen’s high-profile donations.

The Chinese media are looking into RMB 26 million (USD 3.9 million) Chen says he donated in 2007 to fund a senior citizen center and a large-scale open market in his rural hometown of Tianganghu Village in Jiangsu Province. This donation helped put him atop that year’s China Philanthropist List. However recent reports allege that Chen used the two projects to purchase land at low prices from the local government to further his and his family’s private interests.

Media reports also allege that Chen has been using part of a building he donated in Nanjing City as his company office. The building， valued at RMB 130 million， was constructed on land Chen obtained from the local government and was donated to serve as a public training center for disaster prevention and reduction.

Besides these specific donations， media reports also allege Chen has misreported his donation figures and in some cases either failed to deliver on promised donations or put donations from other entrepreneurs under his own name.

Chen has denied all these accusations. In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV)， he provided a book showing copies of his donations. He also clarified information about questions the media raised about the Nanjing office building and the two charity projects in his hometown. Netizens have been fiercely debating the issues of Chen’s case， but it seems the public is unclear whether the philanthropist has really overstated his donations.

43-year-old Chen Guangbiao grew up in a poor family in Jiangsu Province and started his own business after graduating from a medical college. He organized the first non-governmental rescue team to visit disaster-hit areas after the Sichuan earthquake in 2008， and his efforts earned him high praise from Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and made him a household name in China.

Chen travelled to Taiwan in January where he handed out NTD 500 million (USD 17.2 million) in his signature red envelopes to thank Taiwanese who helped after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. He even gave a poor woman on the street USD 2，400 as he was leaving his hotel. According to news reports at that time， the woman burst into tears as she clutched the money， saying she had never had such a large sum of money at one time. Officials in Taiwan reportedly said Chen’s cash created a ‘challenge’ for the poor recipients. Recent reports say Taiwan is now hesitating about whether they should approve Chen’s next charitable visit to the island.

Following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March， Chen travelled around northeastern Japan in a van adorned with Chinese flags， distributing relief supplies and cash. Wearing a suit decorated with stickers depicting the Chinese flag， he distributed food， water， sanitary goods， blankets and ‘good wishes from Chinese people’ to shelters in the Japanese prefectures of Chiba， Ibaraki and Fukushima. However， Chen’s generosity towards a country that once occupied parts of China sparked unhappiness among some Chinese netizens.

Some journalists who have written negative stories about Chen recently received death threats which came with photos of dead bodies. Chen denied any link with the incidents. “God knows everything what we do. A true Chen Guangbiao will carry forward with his charitable activities，” he said.

Chen admitted earlier this year that his company was going through a difficult financial period as he has been allocating 70% of his time towards his charitable endeavors. Media reports say Chen’s company finances have been in the red over the past eight years， and saw RMB 17 million of losses in 2009. With such numbers it’s hard to imagine how Chen finances his donations.