How Qu Qu, China’s controversial ‘love guru’, earns a fortune by advising how to marry rich

In China, a controversial love guru who advises women on how to wed wealthy men reportedly earns 142 million yuan (about Rs 163 crore) a year.

The South China Morning Post claims that the influencer, whose real name is Le Chuan Qu, is quite popular in the neighbouring country as a “love guru” by giving financial and romantic advice on social media.

As a result of her unusual approach, she has even amassed a sizable following.

Nonetheless, Qu Qu’s “unethical” advice often provoked debate.

Here’s why.

The controversial ‘love guru’

Le Chuan Qu offers relationship and money advice via an online account called “Ququ Big Woman.”

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She gained popularity after a woman was heard asking her advice on whom to choose—her wealthy boyfriend or a wealthy admirer—during a live broadcast.

The woman in the live video, who is three years older than her current boyfriend, was reportedly saying that her boyfriend had promised a four million yuan bride price but the payment had been delayed, according to SCMP.

The woman went on to say that she had an admirer, who was 15 years older than her, who had promised to provide her with a monthly allowance of 30,000 yuan in addition to a 20 million yuan flat in Shanghai.

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Qu Qu advised the woman to stick with her partner since she saw him as the more “long-term” choice than the other man.

She calls herself the “McKinsey of relationships,” and her advice has stirred debate since it backed actions that many have deemed inappropriate or deceitful in romantic relationships.

Interestingly, she encourages women to see marriage and relationships as a way to get money.

Qu Qu has developed codewords to interact with her fans while keeping in mind the complex rules of social media sites. She calls money “rice,” marriage “inside the fortress,” and pregnancy “carrying a ball.”

In one of her videos, she bluntly said, “All relationships are essentially about benefit exchanges. Everything should be used to boost my advantage and empower me.”

Expensive consultations

According to SCMP, the influencer makes 142 million yuan a year by giving out controversial marital advice.

During her live streaming, a one-on-one session costs $155 (about Rs 12,945), while her most popular course, “Valuable Relationships,” costs $517 (approximately Rs 43,179).

Private counselling courses, however, run upwards of $1,400 (about Rs. 1,16,927) every month.

Apart from social media, Qu Qu also conducted seminars and workshops where she provided comprehensive advice on dating techniques.

As a result, her account was suspended by Weibo. The social media platform said she “repeatedly promoted unhealthy relationship views to gain attention,” and was “profiting from selling courses and conveying incorrect values.”

However, she now continues to use artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to promote her business and direct customers to private channels that she uses to hide herself online from any such official crackdowns.

Mixed opinion

The general public has mixed feelings about her.

Some believe that her realistic and influential attitude to relationships is hypocritical, pushing women to objectify themselves and manipulate men for financial gain.

One user wrote, “Her approach is understandable. What’s wrong with wanting both love and money? This is a realistic society. Why shouldn’t people strive for better?”

Another one quipped, according to SCMP, “She has profoundly impacted me this year. I’ve learned fundamental concepts like goal orientation and leveraging everything to empower myself. Her insights into recognising a man’s true nature are invaluable. I highly recommend her.”

A third said, “She teaches girls to use men as cash cows and encourages competition among women. But she earns her living by working hard and relying on her efforts. Isn’t that hypocritical?”

According to the publication, another critic said, “In the competitive world of (women) monetising beauty, the successful ones are just outliers. These wealthy men are not fools. They won’t fall for obvious schemes.”

With inputs from agencies