8:00 am Kr 36 | SK Hynix responds to the rumor that the average bonus per employee reaches 6.1 million yuan; The Chinese broadcasting rights fee for the World Cup has been halved from $300 million to $150 million; It is reported that Samsung's Chinese home appliance department offers N+4 severance pay and gives away mobile phones for layoffs.
Today's Hotspot Guide
1.697 million couples got married across the country in the first quarter.
Did Liu Guangyao, the founder of bosie, become an advisor to Kimi? Liu Guangyao replied, "I haven't joined."
Intel and Apple are reported to have reached a preliminary agreement to manufacture chips for the latter's devices.
Industry insiders said that Alibaba did not participate in the financing of DeepSeek.
Xinhua News Agency investigated "Why is Fat Donglai always slandered?"
Top 3 Big News
SK Hynix Responds to Reports of Employees Receiving an Average Bonus of 6.1 Million RMB
Recently, there were reports that the average bonus for SK Hynix's South Korean employees would reach 6.1 million RMB. The news originated from the prediction of international investment bank Macquarie Securities. The bank believes that if SK Hynix's operating profit reaches 447 trillion won in 2027, simply calculating based on 10% of the operating profit and the total number of approximately 35,000 employees at the end of last year, the total dividend scale will reach about 44.7 trillion won, and each employee can receive a bonus of about 1.29 billion won, which is close to 6.1 million RMB. On May 9th, SK Hynix responded to a reporter from Yicai that since the annual performance for this year and next year has not been determined, the bonus scale cannot be predicted. The company also stated that it has established a new system at the headquarters level, which uses 10% of the operating profit as the funding source to distribute performance bonuses once a year. (Yicai)
The Chinese broadcast fee for the World Cup is unrealistic, CCTV refuses, and FIFA is reported to have significantly cut the offer: from 2 billion yuan to 1 billion yuan
On May 10th, according to disclosures from multiple media outlets, the initial offer for the broadcast rights of the 2026 World Cup in the Chinese mainland market from FIFA was as high as $250 million to $300 million, equivalent to approximately 1.7 billion to 2 billion yuan in RMB. However, against the backdrop of the market returning to rationality, this unrealistic offer was met with a cold shoulder. Facing the tough stance of the Chinese side, FIFA subsequently showed "significant concessions" in the negotiation, reducing the offer to the range of $120 million to $150 million, equivalent to approximately 800 million to 1 billion yuan in RMB.
As of May 10th, there are only 32 days left until the official opening of this World Cup. According to a report from Jiupai News, the negotiation between China Media Group (CCTV) and the relevant copyright holders has been at a stalemate for over half a year. In addition, the unclear situation of broadcast rights in many countries has thus created a rare industry deadlock on the eve of the opening of previous World Cups. According to Beijing Daily, in the past two decades, the broadcast fee for the World Cup in China has continued to soar. Compared with previous editions, the combined cost of the 2010 and 2014 World Cups was only $115 million; the combined cost of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was approximately $300 million. (National Business Daily)
It is reported that Samsung's home appliance department in China offers N+4 severance pay and gives away mobile phones
According to Kuaikeji, Samsung has announced that it will stop selling all home appliance products, including monitors, in the Chinese mainland market. It is reported that the president of Samsung China has officially announced the news of the disbandment of the home appliance department, including the monitor product segment, through an internal video conference. Subsequently, the human resources department will follow up on the compensation matters. The meeting also revealed that the severance pay standard for this layoff will be much higher than the legal compensation standard, and specific details will be communicated one-on-one by relevant personnel. According to insiders, the compensation this time may be N+3 or even N+4, and according to Samsung's internal practice, a Samsung mobile phone will also be given away. (Kuaikeji)
Large companies/ Major events
Alibaba Not Involved in DeepSeek's Financing; Industry Insiders: Tencent Likely to Participate
On May 9th, according to media reports, domestic AI company DeepSeek is conducting its first large - scale external financing, with a target amount as high as 50 billion yuan (approximately $7.35 billion). If this round of financing is successfully completed, it will break the record for the highest single - round financing set by Chinese startups.
Notably, among large technology companies, changes in the financing list reflect the divergence of strategies among industry giants. An industry insider who wished to remain anonymous revealed to a reporter from 21st Century Business Herald that the probability of Alibaba and ByteDance investing in DeepSeek is very low. "Just as BMW and Mercedes are unlikely to invest in or acquire Volvo because these brands have their own independent systems."
In contrast, Tencent's attitude appears more cautious and flexible. Another insider close to Tencent admitted to a reporter from 21st Century Business Herald that the possibility of Tencent making an investment is greater than that of Alibaba, and Tencent is expected to be one of the leading large - scale companies participating in this round of financing. (21st Century Business Herald)
Did Hello employees step on Qingju and Meituan bikes during a gathering? Latest official response: The involved personnel have been dealt with
Recently, a photo of a Hello employees' gathering circulated on social platforms. In the photo, several people were riding Hello bikes, and some were stepping on the fallen Qingju and Meituan bikes, while collectively giving a thumbs up with the caption "Getting better and better". In the afternoon of the 10th, Hello's customer service responded, saying, "This kind of behavior is really inappropriate. This is the wrong practice of individual employees and completely does not meet the company's requirements and values. We will never tolerate it." It also mentioned that "the company has immediately launched an internal investigation regarding this issue, seriously dealt with the involved personnel in accordance with regulations, and at the same time carried out education on professional ethics and professional norms across the company to prevent similar problems from happening again." (Sina Technology)
Illustration
Has Liu Guangyao, the founder of bosie, become an advisor to Kimi? Liu Guangyao responds, "I haven't joined."
36Kr has exclusively learned that Liu Guangyao, the founder of the gender - neutral clothing brand bosie, has recently participated in the marketing and content dissemination work of Kimi, an AI product under the Moon's Dark Side, in an advisory capacity. In response to this, Liu Guangyao himself replied, "I haven't joined." A marketing department staff member of the Moon's Dark Side once said that Liu Guangyao's role is that of an "advisor." Another relevant person from the Moon's Dark Side said they had heard about it but hadn't met him yet. "There are too many advisors, and we haven't met many of them."
Global oil supply has decreased by approximately 1 billion barrels in two months
According to Xinhua News Agency, Amin Nasser, the President and CEO of Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), said on the 10th that the global oil supply has decreased by about 1 billion barrels in the past two months. The financial report released by Saudi Aramco on the same day showed that affected by the energy price fluctuations caused by the war, the company's net profit in the first quarter was $33.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of about 26%. (Caixin Press)
He Youjun's affiliated company won a plot in Sanya's Haitang Bay with "low plot ratio + high commercial proportion" for 680 million yuan
On May 8th, reporters learned from the portal website of Hainan Natural Resources Trading Information Service that the much - watched HT08 - 09 - 02 plot in the market was finally won at the reserve price of 681 million yuan by Hainan Xingju Jiayuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. According to Tianyancha data, among the shareholders of Hainan Xingju Jiayuan Real Estate Co., Ltd., "Hainan Xingjing Weiwu Culture and Sports Development Co., Ltd." (hereinafter referred to as "Hainan Xingjing Weiwu") and "Hainan Huanyu Commercial Investment Co., Ltd." (hereinafter referred to as "Hainan Huanyu Commercial") hold 20% and 10% of the shares respectively. Both are enterprises actually controlled by He Youjun. Among them, Hainan Xingjing Weiwu is an affiliated entity of his e - sports industry platform, Xingjing Weiwu Group, and He Youjun serves as the chairman of Hainan Huanyu Commercial.
It is worth mentioning that the land acquisition price of the project is 681 million yuan, and the planned plot ratio index of the project is ≤ 1.2. If calculated according to the maximum plot ratio index of 1.2, the minimum floor price of the project is about 7,677 yuan per square meter. In addition, different from ordinary commercial plots, the transfer conditions of this land are highly targeted, precisely targeting the e - sports cultural and tourism industry track (NBD).
Estée Lauder Fined $1.4 Billion for Concealing the Contribution of Purchasing Agents, Who Account for 30% of Its Sales in the Chinese Market
Due to its failure to clearly inform shareholders in a timely manner about the importance of purchasing agents in its Chinese market, Estée Lauder Companies paid a price of $210 million (approximately RMB 1.4 billion) on May 7. According to Yangtze Evening Post, industry analysts estimate that from 2018 to 2022, purchasing agents may have accounted for 20% to 30% of Estée Lauder's sales in the Chinese market, especially for some high - end product lines. Reporters asked Estée Lauder Companies to confirm the authenticity of this data, but the company did not comment.
In fact, not only the beauty industry, but any brand is reluctant to admit the importance of purchasing agents to its business. Although this gray - market channel can contribute to performance and is, to some extent, a form of free advertising and a channel resource, especially as it can penetrate through social networks into markets where official channels have not reached; however, in essence, it still takes advantage of price differentials for arbitrage, which will disrupt the brand's normal price system and damage the brand value in the long run. (Jiemian News)
Intel and Apple are reported to have reached a preliminary agreement to manufacture chips for the latter's devices
It is reported that Intel has reached a preliminary agreement with Apple to manufacture some chips for the latter's devices. It is understood that the two companies have been negotiating for more than a year, and it is still unclear which Apple products Intel will manufacture chips for. (Jiemian News)
BYD, Tesla, XPeng, Li Auto, NIO, Seres AITO, Geely Zeekr, and GAC Aion Collectively Deny Rumors
On the evening of May 9th, in response to the widely circulated claim on the internet that "eight new energy vehicle manufacturers were summoned for talks due to battery locking issues and three were filed against", the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers stated that the online rumor about "new energy vehicle manufacturers being summoned for talks and filed against due to battery locking issues" is false information.
It is understood that at noon on May 9th, a netizen asked an online AI application and posted the "list" of the eight summoned vehicle manufacturers on social networks. The incident of new energy vehicles "locking batteries" through over-the-air (OTA) updates flared up again. Subsequently, the eight involved vehicle manufacturers - BYD, Tesla, XPeng Motors, Li Auto, NIO, Seres AITO, Geely Zeekr, and GAC Aion - all issued denial statements, stating that the information was a malicious rumor generated by AI and there was no such behavior of being summoned for talks. (Caixin)
Xinhua News Agency Investigates "Why Fat Donglai Is Always Badmouthed", Yu Donglai Responds with Six Consecutive Posts
On May 9th, the official WeChat account of Xinhua News Agency published an article titled "Why Is Fat Donglai Always Badmouthed", investigating the phenomenon of "online trolls" maliciously smearing and slandering Fat Donglai Company. On the same day, May 9th, Yu Donglai posted six consecutive posts, once again elaborating on the original intention and pursuit of Fat Donglai, and responding to those who misunderstand, question, and even attack. Yu Donglai said, "We really want to share our hearts and our daily lives with everyone as if we were dissecting them, so that people can be less affected by the negative energy caused by misunderstandings of Fat Donglai's practices, which may impact people's wonderful lives and moods... We understand that everything that happens is normal, and the group that misunderstands, questions, and even attacks is also the target of our efforts to help." He also said, "I believe that in the future, more and more misunderstandings and doubts will turn into help, understanding, and kindness, and all will be transformed into a common force." (Jiemian News)
Illustration
Starting from September 1st, IELTS will stop paper-based tests
According to the official WeChat account of IELTS, starting from mid-2026, IELTS will gradually stop paper-based tests globally and adopt computer-based tests entirely. In mainland China, the IELTS test will stop paper-based tests and adopt computer-based tests entirely starting from September 1st. The IELTS for UKVI will stop paper-based tests and adopt computer-based tests entirely starting from July 1st. (Caixin)
The 7-day annualized yield of Yu'ebao has fallen below 0.9%
Wind data shows that as of May 8th, the 7-day annualized yield of Tianhong Yu'ebao has dropped to 0.889%, and the income per 10,000 fund units is only 0.2407 yuan. These two key indicators have both reached historical lows. In other words, if you deposit 10,000 yuan, the daily income is not even enough to buy an egg. When it was established in May 2013, Tianhong Yu'ebao was extremely popular. At its peak, the 7-day annualized yield once exceeded 6.7%. At that time, it was not only an enlightenment product for public financial management, but also became the "national piggy bank" in the mobile phones of countless people. At the end of August last year, its 7-day annualized yield basically fluctuated in the range of 1% to 1.1%, hitting the key level of 1% several times. Until May this year, it finally broke through this level and officially entered the "0 era". (Yicai)
Duan Yongping Increases His Stake in Moutai Again
On May 7th, a netizen asked well - known investor Duan Yongping a question on an investment platform, saying that they had held Moutai stocks with a full - position for half a year and were hesitating whether to adjust their portfolio. In his reply, Duan Yongping said bluntly, "I also bought Moutai today. Will it mess you up?" On May 8th, when replying to another investor, he added, "I did sell Shenhua shares that I held at that time when I bought Moutai." (21st Century Business Herald)
1.697 million couples got married nationwide in the first quarter
The "Civil Affairs Statistical Data for the First Quarter of 2026" released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on May 9 shows that in the first quarter of this year, 1.697 million couples got married and 622,000 couples divorced nationwide. (Yicai Global)
Norovirus Outbreak on a US Cruise Ship: 115 People Showed Infection Symptoms, and It Can Be Transmitted Person-to-Person
According to a report by CCTV News, on May 9th, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the "Caribbean Princess" cruise ship of Princess Cruises in the United States set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 28th. During the voyage, a cluster of norovirus cases broke out. A total of 102 passengers and 13 crew members (115 people in total) reported showing infection symptoms.
Data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 7th showed that the number of infected people in this outbreak accounted for 3.3% of the total 3,116 passengers on board and 1.2% of the total 1,131 crew members. Relevant prevention and control measures include: increasing the frequency of cleaning and disinfection across the board, isolating patients in their cabins for recuperation, and collecting samples from cases for laboratory testing. (CCTV News)
Tesla: The last Model S and Model X have rolled off the production line at the Fremont Factory
On May 9th local time, Tesla announced on social media that the last Model S and the last Model X have rolled off the production line at the Fremont Factory. (Jiemian News)
Porsche Announces Streamlining of Three Subsidiaries and Refocus on Core Business
Porsche has announced the streamlining of three subsidiaries. After planning to sell its shares in Bugatti Rimac and Rimac Group, the company is further implementing a number of measures around its strategic restructuring: Three subsidiaries, Cellforce Group GmbH (in Kirchheim unter Teck), Porsche eBike Performance GmbH (in Ottobrunn), and Cetitec GmbH (in Pforzheim), will cease operations. A total of more than 500 employees will be affected by this move. Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche, said, "We must refocus on our core business, which is an indispensable cornerstone for the success of our strategic restructuring. To this end, we have to make difficult choices, including streamlining our subsidiaries." (Jiemian News)
Going Public
Dunkin's parent company, Inspire Brands, secretly filed an IPO application
Inspire Brands, the parent company of Dunkin' and Buffalo Wild Wings, announced on Friday that it has secretly filed an initial public offering (IPO) application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If Inspire goes public successfully, it will be one of the largest IPOs in the history of the food service industry. It is reported that Roark Capital, the private equity firm backing Inspire, is seeking a valuation of approximately $20 billion. (Sina Finance)
The forefront of AI
Baidu Officially Launches ERNIE Bot 5.1
36Kr learned that Baidu has officially launched its new-generation large foundation model, ERNIE Bot 5.1. According to the official introduction, ERNIE Bot 5.1 adopts the "Multi-dimensional Elastic Pre-training" technology. With only about 6% of the pre-training cost of models of the same scale in the industry, it has achieved a leading level in basic performance and ranked first in the domestic LMArena search list.
Zeroth's M1 becomes the world's first humanoid robot to access OpenClaw
36Kr learned that Lexiang Technology officially announced that the M1 humanoid robot under its embodied intelligence brand Zeroth has become the world's first mass - producible humanoid robot to access Tencent's OpenClaw. Currently, Lexiang Technology has reached an intention with Tencent to connect ten thousand hardware terminals. The M1 has successfully accessed OpenClaw and started internal testing. It is planned to be officially launched in late May, and pre - sales will start in the first half of the year.
Anthropic Reportedly Signs $1.8 Billion Computing Agreement with Akamai
It is reported that Anthropic has signed an $1.8 billion computing deal with cloud service provider Akamai Technologies to meet the surging demand for its artificial intelligence software. Akamai said it has reached a seven-year cloud computing agreement with a "leading frontier model provider" but did not name the company. (Sina Finance)
Investment and Financing
"Wuliu Culture" Completes Hundreds of Millions of Yuan in Financing
36Kr learned that recently, "Wuliu Culture" announced the completion of hundreds of millions of yuan in financing. This round of financing was jointly led by Cathay Capital and GGV Capital, with Nimble Media making a strategic investment. Jingshuo TWS and Palm Capital served as financial advisors. The funds will be mainly used for the construction of the IP commercialization system, covering the expansion of IP reserves, the upgrade of the self-owned supply chain, the improvement of channel layout, the enhancement of overseas expansion capabilities, and the innovative exploration of non-physical derivatives empowered by AI.
Xiaoyu Zhizao Completes Hundreds of Millions of Yuan in Series B+ Round of Financing
36Kr learned that according to the official WeChat account of Xiaoyu Zhizao, Xiaoyu Zhizao recently completed hundreds of millions of yuan in a Series B+ round of financing. This round of financing was jointly invested by three new investors, BAIC Capital, Fosun RZ Capital, and C&D Emerging Industries. The existing shareholders, Huaye Tiancheng and Guizhou Kechuang Angel Fund, participated in the follow - on investment. Didi and Li Wanqiang, the co - founder of Xiaomi, continued to increase their investment. Gengxin Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor and also made an investment.
"Beichen Aerospace" Completes Angel Round Financing of Tens of Millions of Yuan
36Kr learned that "Beichen Aerospace" recently completed an angel round financing of tens of millions of yuan, exclusively invested by Yunqi Capital, with Yirong Capital serving as the long - term exclusive financial advisor. After the completion of this financing, Beichen Aerospace will further expand its production capacity, build a R & D and production site of approximately 2,000 square meters, and improve the relevant equipment configuration.
Cool Products
The fourth - generation self - developed superconducting quantum computer "Benyuan Wukong - 180" is launched
On the 9th, reporters learned from the Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Computing Chips that the "Benyuan Wukong - 180" quantum computer, which is equipped with a self - developed superconducting quantum chip with 180 computational qubits in a single core, has been launched and is now accepting global quantum computing tasks.
The main technical parameters of the fourth - generation self - developed superconducting quantum computer "Benyuan Wukong - 180" are as follows: It is equipped with a superconducting quantum chip with 180 computational qubits in a single core, achieving hundred - qubit - level quantum computing on a single - chip architecture. It has 180 computational qubits that can be directly used in actual operations, with a single - qubit logic gate fidelity of 99.9%, a two - qubit logic gate fidelity of 99%, and a readout fidelity of 99%. In addition, there are 251 coupling qubits. (CCTV News)
China's First Dual-Core Atomic Quantum Computer Successfully Developed
Recently, China's first dual-core atomic quantum computer, jointly developed by a team led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in collaboration with Wuhan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and the Wuhan Institute of Quantum Technology, was officially unveiled. This quantum computer has upgraded the quantum processor from "single-core" to "dual-core" for the first time, providing crucial support for China's independent high-end computing power. (21st Century Business Herald)
Compiled | Chi Yu