On the 32nd anniversary of New Oriental, a private Beijing-based education services provider, the company’s founder, Yu Minhong, wrote an internal letter to his staff about his trip to the South Pole.
“I am standing in the icy world of Antarctica, surrounded by vast expanses of pure white, emerald-like icebergs and boundless tranquillity,” he wrote. “The glaciers shimmer with a captivating glow under the sunlight, as if to silently declare the power of time and the meaning of perseverance.”
He went on to reminisce about his difficult journey from the lecture halls of Peking University to launching his business. He then wrote about standing in Antarctica while watching penguins survive in extreme weather, saying it reminded him of how people persisted through hardship over the years, overcoming countless obstacles.
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Yu then called for staff to “join hands and stride towards the future to write an even brighter tomorrow with love and responsibility”.
It may have sounded touching to Yu, but the reception has been pretty frosty. His employees, most of whom will never get the chance to set foot on Antarctica, said on social media that “while our boss is ‘struggling’ in Antarctica, we are stuck at our work stations”.
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Yu later apologised twice, saying he was earnestly sharing his views, not bragging. He also insisted that, while there was a leisure aspect to the trip, he was also there on business. However, it was clear that people didn’t buy his explanation. On social media, the mockery continued.
I don’t doubt Yu’s intentions. There’s no reason to assume he would intentionally gloat over a personal trip to Antarctica. Moreover, his surprise at the strong backlash was probably just as genuine. The world has changed. Young people have a different attitude towards work, especially amid an economic slump, and Yu was given the “OK boomer” treatment.