Couple with 15 million followers, who earned over ₹267 crore in a day, quits live-streaming due to burnout
A Chinese couple with 15 million followers on social media has announced they are quitting live-streaming to focus on their health and family.
In a move that has captured widespread attention, a Chinese couple with 15 million followers announced that they would be stepping back from live-streaming after five years of intense online presence. The couple, known by their online handle @caihongfufu, revealed that the decision to quit live-streaming came after a period of overwhelming burnout, which followed more than 1,000 live-streaming sessions, reported the South China Morning Post.
The wife, Sun Caihong, shared that the gruelling schedule of endless live streams, often lasting more than eight hours each, had taken a toll on both her health and family life. “I had no time to keep my family company, and no time to treat damage to my vocal cords,” she explained.
Despite this, Sun never stopped working, even during the birth of her four children in the past five years. “I never stopped working, even while I was giving birth to four children over the past five years,” she added, highlighting the exhaustion that led to her decision. Now, at 35, she has chosen to halt all live-streaming sessions and take time to rest and reconnect with her family.
Sun said she had instructed her team to stop scheduling new live streams as the couple planned to take a break from the demands of their online business. “I will learn to rest and enjoy life together with my 32-year-old husband, Guo Bin,” she said.
From insurance sales to social media
Before becoming influencers, the couple worked in insurance sales. Their foray into social media began in 2020 when they shared their love story online, which quickly attracted 3 million followers within a year. They used their growing influence to sell daily necessities online and set up their own business. In a video released in 2022, they revealed that they had generated a sales volume of 230 million yuan (over ₹266.88 crore) in a single day, with a daily income of 4 million yuan (over ₹4.6 crore), reported the outlet.
The couple’s success was a far cry from their humble beginnings. They used to live in an eight-square-metre rented room while working part-time jobs. Their annual income from insurance sales reached 1 million yuan ( ₹11.6 lakh), which allowed them to buy their first flat and car. They later moved into a 260-square-metre flat worth 6 million yuan and brought their parents and siblings, who had been migrant workers, into their home to help run the business.
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Over the course of their journey, Sun gave birth to three boys and a girl, fulfilling her husband’s wish to have a daughter. Looking back, the couple expressed gratitude for what they had achieved but admitted that their drive to accumulate more wealth had led to overwork and stress. “We were from the underclass. We should be content with what we have already earned,” they reflected.
Acknowledging their need for balance, the couple made it clear that they planned to return to live-streaming once they figured out how to manage their work without succumbing to burnout. “They have made enough money,” one user noted. “It is wise to stop when you feel it is enough. It is a simple truth that many do not see,” added another.
