- A man from Vancouver caught people’s attention because they thought he was RedNote’s CEO.
- Jerry welcomed new users who had been flocking to the app ahead of a potential TikTok ban.
- People got a bit carried away, and it became a viral case of mistaken identity.
Americans flocking to the Chinese app RedNote thought the platform’s CEO had left them an encouraging message.
Turns out, he wasn’t the CEO. He’s just a guy from Vancouver.
Jerry, who shares a RedNote account with his girlfriend Dani that has about 31,000 followers, posted a video on January 13.
In the video he welcomed US users who had been signing up ahead of a possible ban on TikTok. He said the app, also known as Xiaohongshum, was mainly Chinese-speaking, and it was a place people mainly used for finding restaurants and sharing lifestyle content such as makeup videos.
“But do feel free to speak English and post English content because I believe there are a lot more English-speaking people on this platform nowadays,” Jerry said. “We need to build this community.”
Mistaken identity
For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, some users assumed Jerry was RedNote’s CEO.
His video got reposted on TikTok, and the rumor quickly spread around the platform. People thanked him for welcoming them with open arms while the potential TikTok ban loomed.
Jerry’s video was also mentioned at the end of a Fox 5 New York news segment about the ban threat.
“The CEO of RedNote even made a video welcoming new users who speak English to the app, and he also encouraged them to never stop sharing their voice,” said Jennifer Williams, a sports reporter for FOX 5 News.
On Tuesday, Jerry and Dani, on their TikTok account FakeCEORealGF, tried to clear up the confusion. In the video, Dani showed Jerry what had happened, and he responded with disbelief.
“Guys, I’m not the RedNote CEO, just to be clear,” Jerry said.
“I’m just another normal guy in Vancouver,” he added. “I didn’t expect this post to go viral like this, and thank you for all the comments, but I want to clarify that I’m not the CEO of RedNote.”
Jerry said all the points he made were still true, and he hoped new users enjoyed the platform.
Dani, who is Chinese and grew up in North America, and Jerry, who was born in Shanghai and moved to Canada a decade ago, said they had enjoyed watching Chinese and American cultures merge on RedNote.
“Guys, I hope you guys aren’t mad at us,” Dani said. “We’re really sorry for any misunderstandings this caused.”
TikTokers who made the error joked in the comments that Jerry had been promoted.
“We married the first guy to be nice to us,” one viewer wrote. Another said: “He said ‘welcome’ and we said ‘THE CEO?!?!'”
Others remarked on Jerry’s American accent, remarking, “We have to start using critical thinking skills.”
Jerry and Dani and Fox 5 New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
@fakeceorealgf Hey guys! It’s really us – we woke up to find that apparently Jerry went viral as the accidental CEO of red note so we recorded this reaction/clarification video to diffuse the confusion 😂 He is flattered but also very embarrassed by how this misunderstanding came about. We decided to reupload this video natively on TikTok (this is our only account) to spread the word – if you see this video, please help us share it for the people 😂 From Jerry: I stand by what I saw in my original welcome video. For all the TikTok refugees coming over to Red Note, we stand with you all to make your voice heard! I am flattered by all the kind and polite comments and hope the TikTok refugees find a new home and friends to discover a new side of Chinese culture and community ❤️❤️🇨🇳 #rednote #rednoteceo #tiktokrefugee #xiaohongshu #xhs #littleredbook #redbook #rednotemigration #rednotewelcome #accidentalceo #tiktok #china
♬ original sound – FakeCEORealGF
TikTok faces a January 19 deadline to comply with a divest-or-ban law requiring its US operations to be sold. It remains unclear what the ramifications of the bill could be.
Creators have been highly critical of the ban, saying their small businesses and livelihoods will be destroyed. Black creators, who were instrumental in the platform’s growth, could be significantly affected.
Element of trolling
In response, TikTok users have been considering their options and downloading alternative apps, including Lemon8 and RedNote. Both have rapidly climbed the app download charts in recent days.
The influx to RedNote has been helping some of its users learn English, BI reported this week.
There’s also an element of trolling going on. Frustrated about losing a valuable resource for their income and ability to mobilize, TikTokers are leaning into downloading other Chinese apps to send a message.
A major criticism of the potential TikTok ban is that it is hypocritical. Many claim it focuses heavily on one app while leaving alone other tech companies such as Meta, which owns Instagram.
