Recently, the term “debtor’s daughter” (or “bankrupt daughter”) has become a hot topic on social media. The typical storyline of these stories often involves family businesses going bankrupt due to parental investments gone wrong, with assets worth millions disappearing overnight. The once wealthy daughters who used to have fortunes suddenly find themselves burdened with debts, becoming the so-called “debtor’s daughters.”
For example, a short video blogger named “Debtor’s Daughter,” who has a prominent place on the trending lists, experienced a drastic change in her life: she was forced to sell off luxury items worth tens of millions that she had purchased before; her relationships with friends drastically changed, with many of them turning their backs on her; she even parted ways with her husband. This girl who used to move in glamorous social circles now runs a coffee shop with her current husband to make ends meet.
Recently, she was interviewed by a former senior editor of a well-known media brand from mainland China, “New Tang Dynasty,” where she shared in-depth about her bankruptcy life for the first time, reigniting interest in her story.
During the golden age of the wealthy, they would often spend lavishly, tossing money around. After going bankrupt, all that’s left for them is a wall full of limited edition Hermès bags and a garage full of luxury supercars. The blogger “Debtor’s Daughter” also sold many designer bags and jewelry to cover living expenses, but she still holds onto some depreciating luxury items like jade and gemstones.
However, “Debtor’s Daughter” creatively transforms these luxury goods into props, combining consumer culture and historical context to educate her fans on fashion and art. She has now entered a new stage of “entrepreneurship,” starting to share topics related to running a coffee shop. Compared to before, the content she produces has become more mainstream and practical. At the same time, she is also trying her hand at live streaming to maintain maximum engagement with her followers.
With the development of social media, more and more wealthy individuals who have truly experienced bankruptcy are creating accounts on platforms like TikTok to share their stories, including overseas students, middle-class families, and more. Some bankrupt heirs are providing professional analysis of the second-hand market, teaching netizens how to choose high-value sports cars.
The influential new media outlet “Entertainment Hard Candy” reported that Jianying, who works for an MCN (Multi-Channel Network) agency, pointed out that apart from the “real wealthy extravagant consumption faction,” bankrupt bloggers currently fall into two major mainstream factions: the “overseas student faction” and the “middle-class family faction.”
MCN agencies usually directly sign accounts with the potential for explosive growth, working together on a revenue-sharing cooperation model. Jianying mentioned, “The true daughters who have had assets worth hundreds of millions are very few. Instead, those from affluent backgrounds find it harder to focus solely on being a blogger because of the need to maintain their dignity.”
The content focus of these three factions varies:
– The daughters who truly had wealth continue to document their lifestyle after bankruptcy, reminiscing about their past dreams, retaining some aristocratic traits.
– The overseas student faction takes an extreme and authentic route—when parents suddenly cut off high spending, leaving them without tuition or living expenses, they seek advice from the public on how to cope and then start the “life restart” main quest step by step.
– The middle-class family faction usually operates as a family unit, with both spouses losing their jobs, becoming the “top bankruptcy package.” Their eternal topics revolve around adjusting their mindset, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency.
Regardless of the faction, the ultimate destination of their content can be in workplace experience and emotional healing.
Currently, it seems that the genuine bankrupt bloggers represented by “Debtor’s Daughter” hold a strong appeal to the public. Numerous new fans are following such accounts, sparking many social discussions. Among them, the most frequent questions revolve around changes in interpersonal relationships after bankruptcy and how to cultivate a more stable core.
“Going uphill, people praise you; going downhill, they mock you.” This simple truth, when presented through real-life details, remains endlessly engaging.
With the changes in the economic environment, a new wave of affluent second-generation, international students, and middle-class families have joined this content trend, further attracting creators and MCN agencies to strategize.
Jianying’s team is currently operating a related account that has accumulated hundreds of thousands of fans across various platforms by initially relying on a series of events like “husband losing job at a big company, wife expecting second child, selling luxury home at a low price, returning to the old hometown to rebuild.” Moving forward, they plan to transition the account towards a career-oriented focus, specifically teaching young individuals how to choose a career, prepare for interviews, delve into self-media, and simultaneously introduce related paid consultation services.