8:01 AM | The initial autopsy results of Qiong Yao's body have been announced; The intern whose paper on attacking ByteDance's model training was awarded and is being sued for 8 million yuan; Winning 225 million in the lottery requires paying more than 45 million in taxes.
TOP3 Big News
The Preliminary Autopsy Results of Chiung Yao's Body Announced
On December 4, 2024, the renowned writer, screenwriter, lyricist, and film and television producer Chiung Yao was found dead at her home in Tamsui, Taiwan, at the age of 86. Chiung Yao's social media updated with a "last will," in which she stated: " 'Death' is the inevitable path for everyone and also the last 'major event.' I don't want to leave it to fate, nor do I want to wither away slowly. I want to 'be in charge' of this final major event."
This case was legally examined by the prosecutor of the Shilin District Prosecutors Office, and the preliminary examination results were announced. It was determined that there was no suspicion of homicide. A body examination certificate has been issued to the family, and the body has been returned to the family for the handling of the aftermath. The family has no objections to the examination results. (The Paper, Global Times)
The Intern's Thesis on ByteDance Model Training Attacked and Sued for 8 Million Wins an Award
The intern, Tian Keyu, who maliciously attacked ByteDance's training cluster, has won the Best Paper Award at NeurIPS 2024. Coincidentally, this award-winning paper is precisely the one he published in collaboration with the team during his internship in ByteDance's commercial technology department. Even more, this paper is the sixth-highest-scoring paper (7, 8, 8, 8) at NeurIPS 2024. (Xinzhiyuan)
Winning 225 million in the lottery requires paying more than 45 million in taxes, and the winner has claimed the prize
On December 2, the Shenzhen Welfare Lottery Distribution Center issued an announcement stating that on November 28, 2024, the 2024137th draw of the China Welfare Lottery Double Color Ball game was held. In that draw, 40 first prizes were won in Shenzhen, with a total bonus of 225,470,040 yuan (including bonus prizes). On December 2, 2024, the lottery winner has completed the claim of the prize at the Shenzhen Welfare Lottery Distribution Center and paid 45,094,008 yuan in personal income tax. (Xiaoxiang Morning News)
Big Companies / Major Events
Because employees do not respond to work on weekends, the boss quits the group and says he will rectify the situation
Recently, the remarks of Wang Huainan, the founder and CEO of the well-known maternal and infant brand Babytree, have caused controversy. On December 2, Wang Huainan released a video saying: "I have quit all the employee groups of the company. I really can't stand these people. On Sunday, a colleague struggled in the live broadcast room for several hours, asking employees to participate in the interaction, but there were few responses. As a founder, I really can't understand. No one came when called, and no one came even when driven hard. That kind of disappointment and despair made me quit the group and not want to join it back."
On December 4, Babytree Group issued a statement: Mr. Wang Huainan, as the founder of Babytree, is currently not involved in the daily operation and management of Babytree Group; Mr. Wang Huainan's current entrepreneurial project is the Michacha Commune brand. Babytree Group and the Michacha Commune brand have no any connection in terms of business operation, management structure, financial investment, and personnel team, etc. (Sohu News, Ifeng Technology)
Sales Promised Purchase Discounts, but 4S Store Denied after Employee Resignation
Recently, Mr. Li from Zhangjiakou went to a 4S store in Daxing, Beijing to buy a car. The store's salesperson promised Mr. Li that for a car with an original price of 157,900 yuan, if purchased with a loan, the discount could reach 36,500 yuan. However, after Mr. Li completed the loan and picked up the car, some of the discounts were not fulfilled for a long time. When asked about the reason, the 4S store actually said that the salesperson had resigned, and the initial promise was a personal act, so the 4S store could not fully fulfill it. Lawyers stated that as a staff member of the 4S store, the salesperson's sales behavior is an act of performing duties rather than a personal act, and Mr. Li has the right to require the 4S store to fulfill the discounts as per the contract. Through the coordination of the reporter, the 4S store immediately returned the payment that should be made. (Beijing Time)
Jinhua Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Misappropriated Raised Funds for Stock Trading and Was Regulated, Borrowed 30 Million to Fill the Gap
On November 29, the Shaanxi Securities Regulatory Bureau issued an "Administrative Regulatory Measures Decision" to Jinhua Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., indicating that as Jinhua Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. used idle raised funds for stock trading, there was still a funding gap on the date of fund repayment, and it had to borrow 30 million to fill the gap. Some shareholders commented: "Using raised funds for stock trading really refreshes my understanding as a retail investor."
Last year, Jinhua Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. conducted more than 20 transactions of buying and selling stocks and funds. The cumulative securities investment purchase was 1.51 billion yuan, and the sale was 1.47 billion yuan, resulting in a loss of 27.4671 million yuan in stock trading. In addition, the reporter found that the fundraising project involved in the above-mentioned raised funds, "Relocation and Expansion of the New Factory Area", the scheduled available time has been postponed from the end of 2021 to the end of 2024, which has been postponed for nearly 3 years. As of the first half of 2024, the total commitment amount of this project is 480 million yuan, and the cumulative investment amount is 212 million yuan, with an investment progress of only 44.07%. (National Business Daily)
MCN Packaging Ordinary People into Internet Celebrity Traps: Making Profits from Breach of Contract Fees under the Name of Creating Internet Celebrities
A college student in Shandong, Xiaotang (pseudonym), received an invitation from a media company, claiming that there was an opportunity to make her an internet celebrity, and repeatedly promised "No live streaming, no fees". When signing the contract, she questioned the live streaming duration and posting frequency written in the contract. The staff explained that the contract was just a template and had no substantive effect, promising to follow Xiaotang's ideas. More than a month later, Xiaotang was sued by the MCN company for not live streaming and was demanded to pay 260,000 yuan in compensation.
The court found that before signing the contract, the MCN had repeatedly promised the other party that there was no need for live streaming, and the account could be operated if liked, or returned to the company if not. Now, however, it claimed that "Refusing to live stream is a breach of contract", and the claim for breach of contract fees was unfounded. Currently, the court has transferred the clues of the case to the public security organs. (CCTV News)
China's Spring Festival Successfully Inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, with 44 World Intangible Cultural Heritages
The 19th ordinary session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, held in Asunción, Paraguay, passed the review on the 4th and decided to include "Spring Festival - The Social Practice of the Chinese People to Celebrate the Traditional New Year" in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. So far, a total of 44 items from China have been included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List and Register, ranking first in the world in terms of the total number. (Xinhua News Agency)
FLORTTE Advertisement Accused of Having Sexual Implications, Fined 25,000 Yuan
Recently, Shanghai Pinyiqi Cosmetics Co., Ltd., the company related to "FLORTTE", was fined 25,000 yuan by the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Minhang District, Shanghai for publishing advertisements that violate public order and good customs.
The penalty details from Tianyancha show that previously, the bureau received a consumer complaint. The company has a lip clay product named "FLORTTE/FLORTTE Kiss Clay Lip Mud Lip Gloss New Color Lipstick Matte Velvet Affordable Student Niche", and some color numbers are named "Kiss Xiaoju Ju", "Kiss Neinei", "Kiss A Mi", etc. The party stated that the product naming refers to the popular Internet words at that time and is accompanied by illustrations. Objectively, it has certain sexual implications, causing discomfort to consumers. Another product is a lip gloss named "FLORTTE/FLORTTE Little Butterfly Film-Forming Honey Lipstick Non-Stick Cup Lip Gloss". The partial close-up of the lip gloss displayed on the sales page of this product, due to the shooting angle, the final promotional image causes discomfort to consumers. As the advertiser, the party has certain sexual implications in the product naming and product promotional images, attracting the public's attention through vulgar and borderline methods, which violates public order and good customs and harms the physical and mental health of minors. (Xiaoxiang Morning News)
Car Companies' 2025 Sales Forecast: New Forces Nearly Double, BBA Downward Adjustment
36Kr has obtained the initial sales forecast guidelines for several new car-making companies in 2025 from industry insiders. Li Bin, the CEO of NIO, once publicly stated that the goal for 2025 is to double the sales. It is learned from the industry that NIO's sales forecast for 2025 is consistent with this. XPeng, with a cumulative sales of 150,000 units in 2024, is likely to continue to deliver 30,000 units in December, achieving a total of 180,000 units for the whole year. Its initial sales forecast for next year is 350,000 units, with a growth expectation close to doubling. Li Auto has given a sales forecast of around 700,000 units for 2025. In 2025, the initial sales forecasts of Mercedes-Benz and BMW will continue to be down by 10 - 15%.
The Ice and Snow Economy Ignites the Cultural and Tourism Market, and Listed Companies Tap into the Trillion-Dollar Track
As major ski resorts in Northeast China and other regions have started their operations one after another, and many scenic spots in the south have introduced ticket reduction policies, the winter cultural and tourism consumption market in 2024 has kicked off. Various regions have keenly captured the huge business opportunities of the ice and snow economy and have issued policy measures to support the development of the entire industrial chain, including ice and snow tourism, ice and snow equipment, and ice and snow culture. Listed companies are also actively innovating products and optimizing services to explore the market value of the ice and snow economy. Driven by both policy guidance and market demand, the ice and snow economy is gradually breaking through regional and seasonal restrictions, integrating multiple fields such as tourism, sports, and culture, and forming a diversified and complex industrial ecosystem. (Securities Daily)
Nezha Auto Announces Cooperation with an Indonesian Mobility Company, with an Initial Order of 50 Nezha AYA
36Kr has learned that recently, at the Jakarta International Auto Show, Nezha Auto announced the signing of a cooperation agreement with PT Luxury Trans Indonesia, a leading electric vehicle mobility company in Indonesia. The two sides have determined to introduce a cleaner and more efficient transportation solution in Indonesia. According to the agreement, PT Luxury Trans Indonesia has initially ordered 50 Nezha AYA as high-end mobility vehicles for its customers.
The transaction of second-hand houses in first-tier cities in November is remarkable, and the industry hopes for an upward trend at the end of the year
In November, the transaction volume of the real estate market in first-tier cities continued to recover. Recently, when visiting the second-hand housing markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen, it is found that although the transaction volume has increased significantly, house prices remain relatively stable, and the market tone is still "selling with price reduction". The recently introduced policies such as tax and fee reduction, and the cancellation of the standards for ordinary and non-ordinary residences have reduced transaction costs and will accelerate the circulation of second-hand houses. It is expected that the real estate market in first-tier cities will continue the recovery rhythm in December, and an upward trend at the end of the year may occur. (Securities Times)
NIO wins in the Australian Intellectual Property Office
36Kr has learned that recently, the Australian Judgments and Decisions Enhanced (JADE) website shows that regarding Audi's objections to NIO's trademark registration applications for "ES6, ES7, ES8" submitted in Australia, the Australian Intellectual Property Office made a decision on November 28 local time, supporting NIO's core claims, dismissing Audi's objections, and allowing NIO's trademark applications to continue to be registered in Australia.
OpenAI Appoints Chief Marketing Officer for the First Time
OpenAI has hired Kate Rouch as the company's first Chief Marketing Officer. Rouch previously worked at Coinbase, where she was responsible for global marketing and public relations. Before that, she worked at Meta for more than 11 years as the global brand and product marketing director for Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook. (Caixin)
Japan May Ease Visa Requirements for Chinese Citizens
It is reported that the Japanese government has begun to coordinate to ease the visa application conditions for Chinese citizens to Japan, and some procedures will be simplified. The report said that relevant ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the National Police Agency of Japan will hold consultations in the near future to finalize some new measures, including re-examining the documents required to be submitted when applying for a visa. In addition, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono is considering visiting China within this year, and will discuss the visa issue with the Chinese side at that time. (Global Times)
Billionaire KoGuan reduces Tesla holdings and shifts to US Treasuries for risk aversion
Billionaire investor Leo KoGuan, one of the largest individual shareholders of Tesla, reduces his Tesla holdings due to concerns about a stock market crash and shifts to US government bonds. He expressed his concerns about a 1929-style stock market crash through social media and took actions to hedge his investment portfolio. This shift contrasts with his previous position of increasing Tesla holdings. (Securities Times)
OpenAI Is Reported to Have Poached Three Senior Engineers from Google DeepMind
According to Wired, OpenAI has poached three senior computer vision and machine learning engineers from its competitor Google DeepMind. OpenAI executives stated in an internal meeting that Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai will be working on multimodal AI development, and all three will be working at OpenAI's newly established office in Zurich, Switzerland. (Jiemian News)
Intel is reportedly evaluating several potential CEO candidates, including external individuals such as former board member Lip-Bu Tan, etc.
According to Reuters, sources familiar with the matter said that after announcing the retirement of Chief Executive Officer Pat Gelsinger, Intel has begun to assess the interest of several external individuals, including former board member Lip-Bu Tan, in the CEO position. Intel's discussions on the new CEO candidate are still in the early stages, and no candidate has been determined yet. Intel recently announced that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus will serve as interim co-CEOs, while the company's board is looking for a new CEO candidate. (Jiemian News)
Gu Lei, former Vice President of BAIC Motor Corporation, joins Faraday Future
On December 4, Faraday Future announced that Gu Lei, who once served as the Dean of Chery Automobile Engineering Research Institute and the Vice President and CTO of BAIC Motor Corporation, will become the Dean of the FX Global EV Research and Development Institute and the Person in Charge (VLE) of the FX 6 vehicle series, responsible for implementing the vehicle development strategy of the FF and FX brands. (Jiemian News)
Carlsberg Beer Announces Selling Its Assets in Russia to Local Enterprises
On December 3, the Danish beer company Carlsberg Group announced that it has agreed to sell its shares in Baltika Breweries in Russia to an enterprise held by a Russian party, making the latter the controlling shareholder of Baltika Breweries. (Xinhua News Agency)
New Adjustments in Douyin E-commerce: Managing Brand Merchants and White-label Merchants Together
36Kr exclusively learned that Douyin E-commerce has made a new round of adjustments. The Industry Operation Group A and Group B will be uniformly managed by Zhao Rui, the former head of Group B, and report to Wei Wenwen, the president of Douyin E-commerce. It is understood that Group A and Group B will not be merged.
It is reported that Apple's former CFO will become the new CEO of Stellantis, which Stellantis denies
It is said that Stellantis Chairman John Elkann plans to appoint Luca Maestri, the outgoing Chief Financial Officer of Apple, as the new CEO of the company. On December 4, Stellantis denied this news. (Jiemian News)
The Forefront of AI
Apple officially collaborates with Baidu and plans to launch Apple Intelligence in China in 2025
36Kr has learned that, according to foreign media reports, Apple has collaborated with Baidu and plans to use its most advanced Wenxin Yiyan 4.0 to provide generative artificial intelligence services for its devices such as iPhone, Mac, and iPad. Insiders revealed that the two companies not only cooperate on the implementation of small models on devices such as the iPhone but also collaborate on large models running in the cloud. Among them, Siri will also use Baidu's artificial intelligence model to provide better search results. It is understood that since 2012, Baidu has been the default search engine for Apple's web browser. Since 2015, it has also become the default search engine for Siri.
"Xuexi Qiangguo" Partners with Baidu AI to Release the Industry's First AI Document Intelligence Entity
36Kr has learned that the industry's first AI document intelligence entity, "Xuexi Qiangguo Document Assistant," has been officially launched on the Wen Xiaoyan APP, jointly created by the "Xuexi Qiangguo" learning platform and Wen Xiaoyan. It is understood that the "Xuexi Qiangguo Document Assistant" intelligence entity has the "Xuexi Qiangguo" Wenhui retrieval capability, with content covering multiple sections such as Wenhui, important activities, important meetings, instructions and approvals. In addition, the "Xuexi Qiangguo Document Assistant" intelligence entity will also introduce a document polishing capability in the future.
Amazon AWS and Gitlab Launch Integrated AI Product to Simplify Software Development
On December 3 local time, Amazon's cloud computing company AWS and the developer platform GitLab announced the launch of an integrated product that combines their AI assistant tools, GitLab Duo and Amazon Q. GitLab users can use the chat function of Duo to access various agents provided by Amazon Q Developer, helping to simplify the workflow, accelerate code delivery, and enhance security. (Jiemian News)
OpenAI to hold 12 consecutive live streams for product and new feature launches
On December 4 local time, OpenAI CEO Altman disclosed on social media that in the next 12 days, there will be a live stream every day for product and new feature launches. Altman said that every working day, we will hold a live stream, including releases or demonstrations, including some major events and some Christmas gifts. (National Business Daily)
Apple will use Amazon's AI chips to pre-train its proprietary models
According to CNBC, Benoit Dupin, Apple's senior director of machine learning and artificial intelligence, said that Apple uses Amazon's Inferentia and Graviton chips to support its search services, and compared with x86 chips, Amazon's chips have improved efficiency by 40%. Dupin also said that Apple will use Amazon's latest Trainium 2 chip to pre-train its proprietary models, and it is expected that using the Trainium 2 chip can increase the pre-training efficiency by 50%. (Cailian Press)
Big Company Financial Reports
Salesforce's revenue in the third quarter was $9.44 billion, with an 8.3% year-on-year growth.
On December 3 local time, cloud software giant Salesforce announced its third-quarter results. Its revenue in the third quarter was $9.44 billion, with an 8.3% year-on-year growth, estimated at $9.35 billion; its adjusted earnings per share in the third quarter was $2.41, compared with $2.11 in the same period last year, and estimated at $2.44; the revenue of its subscription and support department in the third quarter was $8.88 billion, with a 9.1% year-on-year growth, estimated at $8.82 billion; it is expected to have a revenue of $37.8 billion to $38 billion for the whole year of 2024. Previously, it was expected to be $37.7 billion to $38 billion, and the estimate is $37.86 billion; it is expected to have a revenue of $37.8 billion to $38 billion in 2025. Previously, it was expected to be $37.7 billion to $38 billion, and the estimate is $37.86 billion. (Jiemian News)
Investment and Financing
"Robovision" Secures Nearly 100 Million Yuan in Series A Financing
36Kr has learned that "Robovision" has successfully completed a nearly 100 million yuan Series A financing. The investors include Hefei Construction Investment and Hefei Innovation Investment, etc. This financing will be mainly used for the construction of the production base in East China and the market promotion of the domestic substitution of high-end measurement and inspection equipment of Wuhan Robo Semiconductor. Robovision was founded in 2014, focusing on the R & D and sales of visual inspection and measurement equipment. Its business covers multiple fields such as consumer electronics, semiconductors, display panels, military industry, and new energy vehicles.
"Nunn Automobile" Completes Strategic Financing of Over 100 Million Yuan
36Kr learned that, according to Songhe Capital, Nunn Automobile, a Chinese pan-vehicle electronic system supplier, has recently completed a strategic financing of over 100 million yuan. It is jointly led by Songhe Capital and China Merchants Bank International, with Hongshan Capital, Zhiming Capital, and others participating in the investment.
"Shiyin Intelligence" Completes First-round Financing of Several Ten Million Yuan
36Kr learned that "Shiyin Intelligence" has recently completed the first-round financing of several ten million yuan, led by Beijing Shijingshan District Modern Innovation Industry Development Fund Co., Ltd. After this round of financing, the company's valuation has reached approximately 500 million yuan.
Cool Products
Thermo Fisher Releases the New Generation of Cs-corrected Transmission Electron Microscope Iliad
36Kr has learned that recently, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the official launch of its newly developed Thermo Scientific Iliad (Scanning) Transmission Electron Microscope in the Chinese market. Iliad is a fully integrated analytical (scanning) transmission electron microscope that integrates a new Iliad Electron Energy Loss Spectrometer (EELS) and energy filter, a dedicated Zebra EELS detector, and a new NanoPulser ultrafast electrostatic beam shutter. Through multiple innovations, it ensures deep integration with the electron microscope optical system.
Organized by｜Wang Xinyie