He is a known face to Asian drama lovers.
Chinese actor Luo Zheng has left netizens shocked with his poor financial conditions despite a successful stint in the entertainment industry that is still ongoing.
During a recent variety show appearance, the actor candidly revealed on camera that he had only ¥4,800 CNY (around 710 $USD) in his bank account. This revelation left people baffled as he is a well-known actor who has starred in multiple successful projects in the last decade. But according to the actor, he spent most of his career repaying a penalty after getting into contract disputes with his agency.
According to the actor, he signed an exclusive ten-year contract with the agency at a young age without carefully reviewing it. Upon termination, the company reportedly demanded ¥50 million CNY in damages. He filed a lawsuit, spending over ¥200,000 CNY in legal fees, and lost the case as the court ruled against the termination.
In the initial years after Zheng’s successful debut through Idol Producer, he reportedly generated a turnover of around ¥2-3 million CNY. However, in reality, he only received around ¥20,000 CNY in his highest earnings. The reason behind this huge pay gap was the company deducting the “cost” incurred to manage him, which supposedly included the price of water dispensers in the practice room, light bulb replacement fees, and even commute expenses for staff visiting the set when he was working.
Luo Zheng once even joked that he was getting poorer with every new project, and had mentioned that during his peak, the highest pay he received was around ¥80,000 CNY. The actor confessed that he had considered other career options, including becoming a security guard.
The nightmarish situation finally came to an end when his current agent intervened and renegotiated his penalty with the company. Zheng reportedly lives a very restricted lifestyle, living in the suburbs and traveling by train to get to filming locations. He finally became debt-free in 2024, which apparently left him with only ¥4,800 CNY in his account.
Netizens have reacted to Zheng’s story with mixed responses. While some praised him for his persistence, others suspected that he was deliberately trying to create a poor “persona.” However, according to Sina, a leading Chinese publication, a relative of Luo Zheng recently confirmed that everything the actor had revealed about his financial condition was all true and that he continues to live a very frugal life.
