Qu Qu, an influencer from China, is well-known for teaching women how to marry rich men. The ''love guru'' is a highly controversial public figure in China, but has amassed a large following due to her unorthodox techniques and teachings. It is estimated that she earns 142 million yuan (around ₹ 163 crore) per year. However, her methods are considered as somewhat unethical as they promote manipulation of relationships for personal gain.
Who is she?
According to the South China Morning Post, her real name is Le Chuanqu but she uses the online pseudonym ''Qu Qu Big Woman''. She was noticed after she made the drastic career shift from singer to relationship influencer.
Her philosophy is essentially about methods of gaining financially through romantic relationships.
She has previously said in her videos that, ''All relationships are essentially about benefit exchanges. Everything should be used to boost my advantage and empower me.''
She is known to call herself the ''McKinsey of relationships'', using the term for climbing up the financial ladder to gain a better social standing.
The controversy
A lot of people believe in her approaches and theories, that any way of benefiting financially is an empowerment towards obtaining autonomy and freedom. However, others have criticized her ways as they consider them to be immoral, and that the basic tenets of honesty and ethics are more important than any financial gain may be. Thus, her social media following and the overall public have very divided opinions about her content.
According to the outlet, one of her followers said, ''Her approach is understandable. What's wrong with wanting both love and money? This is a realistic society. Why shouldn't people strive for better?''
Another user said, ''She has profoundly impacted me this year. I've learned fundamental concepts like goal orientation and leveraging everything to empower myself. Her insights into recognizing a man's true nature are invaluable. I highly recommend her.''
However, many people are against her ideals also. ''She teaches girls to use men as cash cows and encourages competition among women. But she earns her living by working hard and relying on her efforts. Isn't that hypocritical?''
Qu Qu was reportedly banned from Weibo for this very reason, which is promoting unhealthy relationships and conflict of moral values, and now using artificial intelligence to navigate the social media sphere, redirecting followers to private channels and pages. She even uses code words in her videos to ensure her safety on the web. For example, she uses 'inside the fortress' to refer to marriage or being married, 'rice' as money, and 'carrying a ball' as pregnancy.
She even has dating consulting services for people who wish to receive dating advice from her.