The self-professed ‘normal guy in Vancouver’ posted a friendly, welcoming video on RedNote for new users of the Chinese-based app. Here’s what happened.
A B.C. man had a brush with viral fame after being mistaken by social-media users as the CEO of Chinese app RedNote, which is emerging as an alternative to TikTok amid a looming U.S. ban.
Last Sunday, Jerry L., a 27-year-old “normal guy in Vancouver,” posted a friendly video on RedNote welcoming new users and offering tips on how to navigate the app.
Known as Xiaohongshu or Little Red Book in Mandarin, the China-based app surged to the top of Apple’s U.S. app store last week, likely fuelled by so-called TikTok refugees searching for an alternative to the popular short-form video app.
In the video, Jerry said the app was mostly used by people to share recommendations for restaurants and lifestyle content such as shopping and makeup.
“The platform is mainly Chinese-speaking, but do feel free to speak English and post English content because I believe there are a lot more English speakers on this platform nowadays,” he said in the minute-long video, filmed in his Vancouver apartment. “We need to build this community.”
He also encouraged people to keep on making content, whether on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or other social media.
“Let me know your thoughts,” he said at the end of his spiel. “I speak both Chinese and English. Feel free to ask me any questions.”
The next day, Jerry’s girlfriend, Dani H., woke up to a friend texting her saying RedNote’s CEO looks like her boyfriend.
The couple, who asked Postmedia News to withhold their last names because of privacy concerns, learned the post had gone viral on TikTok overnight, with people mistaking Jerry for Red Note’s CEO. The post took on a life of its own and was shared by TikTok influencers and featured on Fox News online.
The couple issued a clarification and posted it on TikTok on Monday.
“Guys, I’m not the RedNote CEO, just to be clear,” said Jerry in the followup video. “I’m just another normal guy in Vancouver. But whatever I said in that original welcoming video stays true. I really hope that you guys can enjoy this platform.”
RedNote’s CEO is Charlwin Mao, who co-founded RedNote with Miranda Qu in 2013 as a shopping guide for Chinese tourists. The Shanghai-based company had about 3.4 million daily active users in the U.S. last Monday, up from around 300,000 the week before, reported Reuters.
Jerry, who grew up in Shanghai and moved to Canada 10 years ago and to Vancouver two years ago, said he was flattered but embarrassed about the misunderstanding.
Dani, 29, who grew up in California, said they have been overwhelmed by the reaction but happy the incident brought people from different social-media apps together.
“I’m just glad it brought a smile to people’s faces,” she said.
Jerry and Dani have since leaned into their sudden online celebrity, creating a TikTok account @FakeCEORealGF, where they hope to share more videos about their experience as Chinese Canadians in Vancouver.
TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has been ordered to shut down by U.S. lawmakers on Sunday. It temporarily went offline on Saturday but was available on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would put off a ban once he takes office on Jan. 20.