Chapter 24 Figures in corporate history: Twenty people ups and downs

In April 1988, when the first batch of "National Excellent Entrepreneurs" were selected, Chinese society was still very unfamiliar with the title of entrepreneur.The previous year, Peter Drucker published "Innovation and Entrepreneurship". His definition of entrepreneurs is, "Entrepreneurs are those who are willing to see change as an opportunity and work hard to develop it."Starting from this definition, the 20 candidates are all well-deserved.They were outstanding persons who emerged from the reform of the contract system at that time. The enterprises they led were lifeless before, but after the reform, they took on a new look.

In November 2003, the 15th year after the first National Outstanding Entrepreneurs were selected, the lucky ones gathered in Hangzhou.It was found that these 20 people were "sick, dead, fled, caught, and retreated", and only Feng Gensheng of Hangzhou Qingchunbao and Qingdao Shuangxing were still working in enterprise-level positions. Wang Hai and Zhu Yi from Yantai Port Authority. Feng Gensheng, who is over 70 years old, is still on the job because he sold the controlling stake in the state-owned Qingchunbao Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to Thailand’s Chia Tai Group in 1993. It is said that Zhengda's promise to Feng is, "you can do it until you don't want to do it."

Zhu Yi, the youngest among the 20, has not yet reached retirement age.The Yantai Port Authority has been in a downturn since 1998. In 2003, the Port Authority, which has 8,000 employees and more than 20 subsidiaries, only had a profit of 1 million yuan.Zhu Yi refused to be interviewed by the media. His subordinates said, "It has been more than ten years, and everyone's situation and mentality are different. Director Zhu doesn't want to say anything now." Wang Hai is an "outlier".Born in the volunteer army, he has a flamboyant and decisive personality, like an untouchable tiger. Under his management, Double Star became the largest manufacturer of sneakers in the country. In 1989, when the macro-control was implemented, according to the regulations of the higher authorities, state-owned enterprises, like all government agencies, could only treat guests with four dishes and one soup. Wang Hai used large pots to hold the vegetables, and each pot contained four dishes. The Commission for Discipline Inspection came to question this , He said, "You also didn't stipulate that you can't use a pot to serve the whole dish."Wang Hai also appointed himself a position in Double Star - "President for Life". Of course, this does not comply with the management regulations of the SASAC, but if he wants to do this, no one dares to change it. In 2005, Wang Hai asked a property appraisal firm in Beijing to evaluate the value of Double Star and his personal intangible assets. As a result, the enterprise value was 49.2 billion yuan, and his personal value was 32.1 billion yuan.However, he is not satisfied with this. In his opinion, the intangible assets of individuals should be higher than those of enterprises. He said to the host of the TV interview program "Fortune China": "I think this is a bit unrealistic. Why do you say that? It should be the entrepreneurs who have the development of this enterprise, that is to say, only with Wang Hai can there be Double Star.”

Among the 20, three became officials later on. The highest rank was Chen Qingtai, the director of the Second Automobile Factory.Shang Haitao, director of Shanxi Lu’an Mining Bureau, was transferred to be the chief engineer of the coal department in 1995. Before that, he tried to intern the joint-stock company in a company and tried to list in Hong Kong, but all failed one by one. A kind of helplessness, he complained to the reporter: "I don't want to be an official. Being an official is more restrained. It is better to be an enterprise. At that time, two factors prompted me to agree to come up. First, I am in an enterprise and I can do everything. I can't do it. I think I can't do it. I feel that it is useless to be in the company. It doesn't make much sense to wait there. Second, he insisted on promotion at the time. You can go here, you can go there, if you want me to go .If you don’t go, you have to go. At this point. I don’t want to come out to be an official. If I want to be an official, I came out a long time ago.”

Among this group of people, the most notorious one is Yu Zhian from Wuhan. He left the Philippines in 1995 and was once a sensation.Yu Zhian joined the army at the age of 12 and joined the Party at the age of 16. He studied in the Law Department of Zhongnan University of Political Science and Law and the Philosophy Department of Wuhan University. In 1981, he served as the director of Wuhan Turbo Generator Factory, a large loss-making company, and turned the company around. In 1991, the Yangtze River Power Group, a large-scale multinational group with more than 200 domestic and foreign units, ranked among the "Top 500 Enterprises in China".Yu Zhian is one of the most domestic entrepreneurs who proposed the reform of property rights of state-owned enterprises. He is also considered to be the one with the most strategic view among the 20 people. As early as 1988, he raised the sensitive issue of property rights of enterprises, and believed that enterprises could It does not belong to the state, and at that time, almost all the directors of state-owned enterprises were still carefully discussing how to separate ownership from management. In 1993, Yu Zhian, who was about to retire, registered US$500,000 in his own name in the Philippines, established the Changdong Group Philippine Company, and undertook the restoration and operation of a hydropower station. Two years later, he went to the Philippines and never returned.It can be found in a large number of subsequent reports that in the later period, the relationship between Yu Zhian and the local government authorities was already very tense. He is famous in Hubei business circles for daring to contradict his "mother-in-law" and provincial and municipal leaders. Yangtze River Power Group is managed by Wuhan Machinery However, Yu Zhian "didn't buy it at all" and didn't even send a single financial statement to the Bureau of Machinery. Changdong thus became a company with "no superiors" and was responsible for the relevant functions of Wuhan City every year. When the department sent people to Changdong for routine inspections, Yu Zhian often sent factory security personnel to keep them away. Around 1995, among well-known entrepreneurs in China, Chu Shijian and Yu Zhian of Hongta Group were killed in accidents before the retirement age of 59 at the same time.Yu Zhian, who fled the Philippines, was included in the "List of Corrupt Officials Fleeing Abroad".According to reports, "after the efforts of the Chinese side, the lost state-owned assets of 650,000 US dollars were recovered."

None of the 20 people selected for the first batch of outstanding entrepreneurs in the country had finally completed the clarification of corporate property rights. By 2006, half of the companies were in trouble or had disappeared.The evening scenes of many of them are embarrassing.The most well-known person at that time was Ma Shengli from Hebei. After he was dismissed in 1995, he could only receive a pension of 130 yuan per month and had to open a steamed stuffed bun shop to support his family.Zou Fenglou in Hunan once faced a life crisis after retirement. He only received 500 yuan a month, which could not solve the medical expenses. The local media once publicly discussed the "Zou Fenglou phenomenon", so his pension was specially approved to increase to 900 yuan .

The West Lake gathering in November 2003 may be their last collective appearance.The situation at that time was: Feng Gensheng: Born in 1934, he was the director of Hangzhou No. 2 Traditional Chinese Medicine Factory at that time, and later the chairman of Zhengda Qingchunbao Group Co., Ltd. Zou Fenglou: Born in 1931, he was the director of Hunan Liling Guoguang Porcelain Factory at that time, and was dismissed in 1989. Shang Haitao: Born in 1940, he was the director of Shanxi Lu'an Mining Bureau at that time. He was "reluctantly" promoted to the chief engineer of the coal department, and then retired at home.

Li Huazhong: Born in 1935, he was the manager of Anshan Iron and Steel.Afterwards, he took care of his wife at home, and he called himself "paying off debts" happily. Chen Xiangxing: Born in 1938, he was the director of Nanjing Radio Factory at that time.Later, he worked for a consulting firm. Meng Xianghai: Born in 1931, he was the director of Jiamusi Paper Mill at that time, and later worked for a private paper mill in Dongguan, Guangdong. Wang Hai: Born in 1941, he was the chairman of Qingdao Double Star Group Company at that time, and now he is the "lifetime president" and secretary of the party committee of Double Star Group.

"Ma Shengli" was born in 1938. He was the director of Shijiazhuang Paper Mill at that time. He established Ma Shengli Paper Products Co., Ltd. in 1988. After that, he stayed at home. Zhu Yi: Born in 1944, he was the director of Yantai Port Authority at that time, and he was still in office in 2003. Yang Qihua: Born in 1930, he was the chairman of Guangzhou Railway (Group) Company at that time, and was elected as the chairman of Guangdong Hai Railway Corridor Co., Ltd. in 1996. Zhou Guanwu: Born in 1918, he was the general manager of the Capital Iron and Steel Company at that time, but was dismissed later and stayed at home.

Qi Xinrong: Born in 1940, he was the director of Shanghai Pengpu Machinery Factory at that time. In 1997, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and became a vegetable. Yin Guomao: Born in 1932, he was the director of Chengdu Seamless Steel Tube Factory at that time. In 1996, the company suffered serious losses and was dismissed. Xu Youyang: Born in 1933, he was the director of Shenyang Cable Factory at that time, and was hired by Shenyang Property Investment and Development Co., Ltd. in 1995. Huo Ronghua: Born in 1941, he was the general manager of Jilin Chemical Industry Company and died of illness.

Ying Zhibang: Born in 1934, he was the director of the Northwest National Cotton Factory No. 5 at that time. In 1997, he was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for dereliction of duty, suspended for two years.Afterwards, she lived in seclusion in Shenzhen. Yu Zhian: Born in 1932, he was the general manager of Wuhan Changjiang Power Company at that time, and later fled abroad. Huang Chune: Born in 1940, he was the general manager of Dalian Petrochemical Company at that time, and later promoted to the deputy general manager of China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, and the deputy director of the National Nonferrous Metals Industry Bureau. Xing Qifu: Born in 1935, he was the general manager of Tianjin Feige Group at that time. After retiring in 1996, he was elected as the president of Tianjin Bicycle Association. Chen Qingtai: At that time, he was the director of China Second Automobile Manufacturing Plant, and later served as the party secretary and deputy director of the Development Research Center of the State Council.