Zhang Xuefeng trending on hot search

Zebra Consumer Shen Tuo

More than ten days ago, Zhou Hongyi, who has always been curious, personally confirmed to Zhang Xuefeng that the news of earning 200 million yuan in 3 hours was fake.

Regardless of its authenticity, Zhang Xuefeng's team's "Dream Card" priced at 8,999 yuan for the 2026 college entrance examinees has sold out. The appeal is unparalleled.

Beyond the main business of college entrance and postgraduate volunteer application services, in recent years, Zhang Xuefeng has been exploring the "aftermarket" of college entrance and postgraduate studies in fields such as research, consulting, and live streaming, preliminarily outlining an educational aftermarket ecosystem.

From a grassroots lecturer to a renowned education influencer, and then crossing over to become an LP, Zhang Xuefeng has completed a magnificent transformation.

Lecturer

Every year before the college entrance exam, Zhang Xuefeng's popularity inevitably surges. His professionalism in the field of college entrance volunteer application services attracts the attention of many parents like a suction cup.

Over a decade ago, Zhang Xuefeng, then known as Zhang Zibiao, could never have imagined his current fame. He majored in water supply and drainage at Zhengzhou University, which was completely unrelated to his current career. However, his experience in educational institutions after graduation helped him overcome his shortcomings.

Initially, he was just an ordinary "Beijing drifter," living in shared apartments, commuting by bus, and eating boxed meals, immersing himself in the postgraduate tutoring industry.

In 2008, Zhang Xuefeng stepped onto the podium. However, many students did not appreciate his teaching style, which was a blow to this winner of the Zhengzhou University Campus Host Competition's Golden Microphone Award.

The quick-witted Zhang Xuefeng changed his approach. He meticulously studied the admission and employment status of over 400 universities and research institutes nationwide, creating course materials. His excellent eloquence and distinctive northeastern dialect turned dull postgraduate classes into interactive sessions, gradually building his reputation in the industry.

Later, he focused on online education for postgraduate tutoring and college entrance volunteer applications. His established teaching style, combined with a down-to-earth and straightforward approach, helped him quickly stand out.

While some recognize Zhang Xuefeng's professionalism, others question his pragmatism, perhaps due to his personal background.

Born in 1984 in Fuyu County, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, Zhang Xuefeng came from a poor family. At their most financially strained, the family's monthly income was only 600 yuan. He once said publicly, "People often say their families are so poor they jingle, but my family didn't even jingle."

The financial hardships of his youth motivated Zhang Xuefeng to strive for success. He realized his dream of attending a top-tier university through the college entrance exam. Over time, his perspective shifted, and he began advising students to make cost-effective choices based on employment prospects.

Influencer

In June 2016, to teach students at various branch schools, Zhang Xuefeng recorded videos to share nationwide.

His videos were insightful, entertaining, and comedic. Students found them amusing and uploaded them online, unexpectedly making Zhang Xuefeng an overnight sensation. This gave hope to the struggling Suzhou Yantu Education, which had been registered for half a year.

The video "7-Minute Explanation of 34 985 Universities," still circulating online, became a turning point in Zhang Xuefeng's life.

He didn't miss the wave of attention. The day after his sudden fame, the tutor Zhang Zibiao changed his name to Zhang Xuefeng, even updating his social media accounts simultaneously to reinforce his image as a postgraduate mentor.

In the following years, Zhang Xuefeng became a regular guest on TV and online variety shows, even playing himself as a postgraduate tutor in movies. He leveraged and capitalized on his fame, achieving both fame and fortune.

However, his heated debates with guests on some shows sparked significant controversy, even prompting warnings from his alma mater, Qiqihar University.

On social media, Zhang Xuefeng was even more flamboyant, making shocking statements and using exaggerated expressions and gestures to cement his distinctive persona.

He excelled at creating and exploiting topics. For instance, his blunt remarks like "liberal arts are all service industries," "knock out anyone who wants to study journalism," and "encouraging someone to study medicine is asking for lightning to strike" sparked immediate backlash due to their harshness.

Amid the controversy, he developed a knack for trending on social media, often staying in the spotlight for extended periods.

Businessman

Since 2016, Zhang Xuefeng has successfully built his personal brand as a postgraduate tutor and college entrance volunteer application guru, adorned with accolades.

In 2021, he moved to Suzhou to establish Fengxue Weilai, focusing on college entrance volunteer application services. He believes that for most people, the college entrance exam remains a milestone and a crucial step toward changing their destiny.

Moreover, the annual college entrance exam is always a hot topic, and with his established customer base, it represents a lucrative opportunity.

According to iiMedia Research, the paid market for college entrance volunteer applications in China was 880 million yuan in 2022 and approximately 950 million yuan in 2023, 7.3 times that of 2016.

Despite charging tens of thousands for these services, the business remains labor-intensive, with scalability limited by the size of qualified teaching teams.

Zhang Xuefeng once stated that the rapid sell-out of his courses wasn't due to scarcity marketing but the sheer volume of demand. He estimated that 300 teachers could serve around 13,000 students at most, still far from meeting the demand of over 600,000 paying customers.

Thus, expanding his personal and brand value became a natural progression.

In recent years, beyond volunteer application services, Zhang Xuefeng has ventured into research, educational books, consulting, live streaming, and even private equity investments as an LP.

Through continuous 跨界， Zhang Xuefeng has transformed from an influencer lecturer into a cultural entrepreneur. Currently, he controls six of the seven companies he has invested in, sketching the outlines of a vast 商业版图。