MCLC: Mao's granddaughter worth $815 million

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: Mao's granddaughter worth $815 million
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Source: The Raw Story (5/9/13):
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/09/mao-zedongs-grand-daughter-worth-more
-than-815-million-according-to-chinas-new-fortune-magazine/

Mao Zedong’s grand-daughter worth more than $815 million according to
China’s ‘New Fortune’ magazine
By Agence France-Presse

The appearance of a grand-daughter of Mao Zedong, founding father of
Communist China, on a list of the country’s richest citizens prompted
online accusations of hypocrisy Thursday.

Kong Dongmei, now in her early 40s, and husband Chen Dongsheng ranked
242th with personal wealth estimated at five billion yuan ($815 million)
on a rich list released this month by New Fortune, a Chinese financial
magazine.

Kong is the grand-daughter of Mao and his third wife He Zizhen. In 2001
she founded a book store in Beijing selling publications about Mao and
promoting “Red Culture” after studying at the University of Pennsylvania
in the US.

In 2011, Kong married Chen, who controls an insurance company, an auction
house and a courier firm, after they had maintained an extramarital
relationship for 15 years, according to the magazine, which cited other
Chinese media reports.

The couple have two daughters and a son, said New Fortune — likely to be a
violation of China’s one-child policy.

Kong’s inclusion on the rich list triggered hot debate on China’s
Twitter-like weibos, with some accusing her of betraying her grandfather’s
status as the “great teacher of proletariat revolution”.

“The offspring of Chairman Mao, who led us to eradicate private ownership,
married a capitalist and violated the family planning policy to give birth
to three illegal children,” wrote Luo Chongmin, a government advisor in
southwest China.

China has implemented the one-child policy for many urban residents for
over 30 years, although there have been recent suggestions that the rules
may be loosened.

“Did Kong Dongmei… pay any fines after being a mistress for more than 10
years and giving birth to three kids?” asked another user with the online
handle Virtual Liangshao.

But others argued that the millions were actually her husband’s, who made
his fortune before they were married.

“Kong just married a wealthy husband. You can’t attribute it to Mao,” said
weibo user Wang Nanfang in a posting.