Chinese billionaire heir singer Huang Zitao only learns of father’s wealth after growing up

Chinese singer Huang Zitao. Photo from Huang’s studio’s Weibo

Huang Zhongdong, one of China’s wealthiest individuals who died in 2020, had discussed his wealth accumulation and parenting philosophy with Renwu magazine before his death. He revealed he had built a company valued at over 20 billion yuan (US$2.7 billion) and owned more than 20% of its shares. His family also owned numerous properties.

Despite this, Huang Zhongdong consistently told the young Huang Zitao: “We are poor.”

Throughout Huang Zitao’s elementary school years, his father gave him only one yuan per week for allowances, while his classmates received several tens to a hundred yuan. This enforced a deep-seated belief in poverty in Huang Zitao, leading to him being ridiculed by his peers for being “dirt poor.”

Motivated by a desire to assist his family, Huang Zitao, as a teenager, distributed flyers on the streets and in shopping centers. During one of these occasions, Huang Zhongdong watched from his car, tearfully observing his son toiling in the cold.

It was not until Huang Zitao was older that Huang Zhongdong disclosed the family’s financial status, leaving the younger man stunned and only able to remark: “Dad, you’re really that skilled?”

Huang Zhongdong believed that having his son work from a young age would foster independence and diligence. This upbringing was reflected in Huang Zitao’s dedication to daily dance and martial arts practice from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. after he began training with South Korea-based agency SM Entertainment.

Beyond his career in entertainment, Huang Zitao also manages his entertainment agency L.TAO Entertainment, which he established in 2018.

He once expressed on social media the intense pressures of his work schedule, admitting to often losing track of days and feeling overwhelmed and unhappy at times.

The 31-year-old singer made his debut with SM Entertainment’s K-pop boy group EXO in 2012 but left the group and returned to China in 2015, citing health reasons.

The South China Morning Post reported that he inherited a fortune estimated at US$3 billion from Huang Zhongdong after the latter’s passing.

Huang Zitao recently made headlines by confirming his relationship with singer Xu Yiyang, a former trainee at SM Entertainment and an artist managed by L.TAO Entertainment. The couple is believed to have first met during their time at the South Korean company.