Recently, the news of the passing of Wang Zijie, the founder of the Shanghai Sipa Culture Media Group Co., Ltd. (Sipa Media), has been circulating widely on Chinese social media. On April 16, Sipa Media released an obituary confirming Wang Zijie’s passing on April 14 at the age of 63.
According to the obituary, Wang Zijie passed away in Shanghai on April 14 at 7:00 pm due to a sudden heart-related illness, despite efforts to save him. On April 15, news of Wang Zijie’s death spread online, causing a stir on social media. Insiders hinted that an obituary would be released the next day.
Reports from the Beijing Youth Daily revealed that before his passing, Wang Zijie was conducting a meeting in the company conference room to discuss the annual plan for SNH48 and the expansion of new subgroups. During the meeting, he suddenly felt discomfort in his heart, collapsed on the spot, and despite immediate emergency calls for assistance, he could not be saved.
Public records show that Wang Zijie was born in Shanghai in 1963 and graduated from the Mathematics Department of Fudan University. In 1990, he studied in Japan and later joined the KONAMI Group, leading the introduction of games like “Heartbeat Memory” to China. In 2003, Wang Zijie founded Jiu You Net in Shanghai, releasing leisure online games like “Jing Le Tuan” and “Jing Wu Tuan,” earning him the title of “Most Influential Figure in the Chinese Gaming Industry.”
In 2012, Wang Zijie identified a business opportunity in the Japanese idol model and ventured into founding Sipa Media, creating China’s first large idol group, SNH48. By localizing operations with “theater performances + general elections voting,” he went on to establish seven major subgroups including GNZ48 and BEJ48, propelling artists under his management like Ju Jingyi, Li Yitong, and Sun Rui to stardom.
Data from Tianyancha shows that several companies affiliated with Wang Zijie, such as Yixing Software (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., have been either deregistered or revoked. In 2025, Sipa Media and its chairman Wang Jing were involved in multiple enforcement cases. The company’s frozen equity amounted to nearly 130 million RMB with a freeze period of three years.
Over the past decade, Sipa Media has been embroiled in numerous disputes over artist contracts. More than 20 SNH48 members, including Sun Rui, Zhao Yue, and Li Yitong, have filed lawsuits for contract termination. The most notable case currently is the contract dispute between actress Ju Jingyi and the company. Former member Ceng Yanfen publicly accused the company of wage arrears, unfair deductions, and disclosed incidents of members being asked to accompany drinking sessions.