China influencer earns US$7 million from wish candles sale before arrest for fraud
Under-pressure youth seek ‘emotional and spiritual comfort’ by snapping up strange products online; experts warn goods could distort reality
In China, some young people are paying steep prices for wish candles sold by influencers, hoping to rekindle a romance.
One such influencer, Li Zhuofan, built a following of more than 600,000 on mainland social media after appearing on the Russian reality show The Battle of Psychics, where she used a candle to “locate” a person hidden in a car boot and claimed she could sense that someone had once died in another vehicle.
After returning to China, Li began selling handmade wish candles online. The candles were decorated with crystals and dried flowers and infused with essential oils.
She marketed different blends as having different powers, from boosting careers and wealth to helping an ex return.
Prices started at 2,888 yuan (US$420), with a “triple luck” version costing up to 7,888 yuan.