Meme or Self-justification? The "ByteDance Stock Trading Earned 30 Million for Financial Freedom" Person Says "Returned to Hometown to Work as a Security Guard and Deliver Food," English-only Posts See Over 90% Drop in Readership

Odaily Planet Daily News Recently, @leto_bao, who became famous for portraying "achieving financial freedom by trading ByteDance stocks for 30 million," responded to rumors on X platform, saying, "I've returned to my hometown. During the day, I work as a security guard in an office building; at night, I deliver food; in the early morning, I set up a barbecue stall; and in the morning, I sell breakfast at the school gate. I only sleep 3 hours a day, shuttling between McDonald's and hospital outpatient clinics. I don't dare go home because debt collectors block my doorstep every day. I eat by opening treasure chests (likely referring to scavenging discarded food) and shower in the company restroom. I have already reached a repayment plan with the bank, expected to be paid off in 50 years. Please stop making fun of my suffering."

The community speculates this might be a meme-style response for entertainment effect. However, some in the comment section question that he still hasn't provided verified investment portfolio evidence, suggesting it's just hype. Others even claim to have found records of his earlier failed accounts.

Later, he bluntly stated: "I will no longer post in Chinese. The Chinese circle on X is very toxic—full of anger, bot accounts, and no real discussion. Everyone is chasing creator rewards, not genuine communication. My posts haven't received any feedback worth responding to. I feel I can get more from the English community here." However, the readership of his subsequent tweets dropped from hundreds of thousands to only around 40,000 to 70,000.