A wealthy Chinese man, Zhao Dian, has drawn public attention by choosing to live on 100 yuan ($14) per month. Born in Shanghai, he moved to New Zealand at age 10 and later lived in Sydney, New York, Beijing, and Paris. Zhao earned two bachelor’s degrees and three master’s degrees in finance, becoming an accomplished scholar. Reflecting on his childhood, he described a strained relationship with his parents and harsh treatment from his father, referring to his elite education as “fetters.”
After years abroad, Zhao lived in isolation, finding comfort only among fellow expatriates. While in Paris, he worked in a Chinese restaurant kitchen, finding joy in simple tasks. In 2023, he returned to China, working as a waiter at a beer festival and later at a hotel. Last year, he traveled to Dali in Yunnan Province and decided to live on the streets.
His daily routine includes waking at 7:00 AM and sleeping by 9:00 PM. Zhao occasionally showers in hostels, eats at free vegetarian restaurants, and uses hotel laundry services, allowing him to survive on 100 yuan monthly despite savings of about 2,500 yuan ($350). He wears second-hand clothes, carries an e-book for reading, and engages in projects like organizing book clubs and publishing online psychological counseling videos.
Zhao does not communicate with his parents in New Zealand but seeks a closer relationship. He has had nine romantic relationships and maintains contact with a 10-year-old daughter from a previous marriage in New York. Despite mixed public reactions—some sympathetic, others critical—he claims his minimalist lifestyle significantly boosted his satisfaction.
