Self-made China milk tea entrepreneur marries wealthy solar heiress, captures public attention

The upcoming wedding of the founder of a renowned milk tea company from a grass-roots background and the daughter of a wealthy family that owns a leading solar energy firm has captivated the Chinese public and is trending online.\nZhang Junjie, the driving force behind the Chinese milk tea brand Chagee, and his bride Gao Haichun, whose parents are the founders of Trina Solar, will celebrate their nuptials at the Zhongwu Hotel in Changzhou, eastern Jiangsu province, on December 15, according to Jiemian News.\nBoth Zhang and Gao are 32 years old.\nGao, a Brown University graduate, has been hailed as the most beautiful second-generation figure in China’s solar energy sector, often referred to as the “Solar Goddess.” She also holds an executive position at her parents’ company and is their only child.\n\nTrina Solar is publicly listed in both New York and Shanghai.\nWhat has particularly fascinated internet users is Zhang’s inspiring journey from humble beginnings.\nBorn into poverty in Kunming, Yunnan, southwest China, Zhang became an orphan at the age of 10. Information regarding his parents’ deaths and details about any relatives remain undisclosed.\nWith minimal formal education, Zhang began working as an apprentice at a milk tea store in Kunming at 17.\nHe learned to read and write at 18. At that store, he advanced from manager’s assistant to manager, and then regional supervisor. Within five years, he became an agent of that milk tea brand and a franchise partner.\n\nZhang also had a brief tenure from 2015 to 2017 at a Shanghai-based robotics company, where he handled external cooperation.\nIn November 2017, Zhang launched Chagee, a milk tea brand inspired by traditional Chinese aesthetics.\nWhile many of his peers focused on fruit milk tea, Zhang distinguished himself by prioritising fresh tea leaves as his primary ingredient.\nHe expressed to the media his ambition to rival Starbucks with his Chinese tea offerings.\nWith 6,000 stores both in China and abroad, Chagee was officially listed on NASDAQ in April.\n\nMany of Zhang’s employees admire his unwavering dedication to his career.\n“To this day, he hasn’t bought a car or a house. He lacks materialistic desires and aspires to leave a mark in history,” an anonymous employee acquainted with Zhang shared with Jiemian News.\nZhang and Gao first crossed paths at a networking event for young entrepreneurs, and they registered their marriage in June.\nOn November 21, Zhang addressed a rumour circulating online—that he had previously married a tycoon’s disabled daughter and had a child with her—by releasing a statement on social media.\nThis unfounded rumour emerged late last year, leading a Shanghai court to mandate a public apology to Zhang from the individual responsible earlier this year.\nDespite this clarification, many internet users continued to discuss the rumour following reports of Zhang’s wedding in mid-November.\n\n“I feel it’s essential to speak out openly. I want to clarify that I have never been married before meeting Haichun. I aim to protect my wife and family from any defamation stemming from this rumour,” Zhang stated on social media.\nThe couple’s impending marriage has sparked considerable public interest on mainland social media, going viral with 87 million views on a leading platform.\n“He started from scratch. Now, he’s marrying a beautiful and wealthy woman. He’s someone every man envies,” commented one online observer.\n“He has quickly risen in the business realm. He is undoubtedly a genius!” praised another.\nA third user remarked: “It seems as if the inspiring hero from a novel has come to life.”\n