University entrepreneur's story prompts online chatter

The story of a man surnamed Wang who earned over 1 million yuan ($144,270) during his four years of college has become a top trending topic on social media.

Wang, now pursuing his doctorate, told Red Star News the money was made by he and his team during their four years at Sichuan University.

When asked how they managed to make a fortune, Wang said they sold snacks, specialties and second-hand books, offered paid tutoring and business counseling and won prize money from entrepreneurship and innovation contests.

Wang's experience was hotly discussed among netizens, with many calling him a driven young man. Others said compared with making money, study was secondary to him, and still others wondered whether he was from a well-off family, which might have supported him in his entrepreneurship.

In response to these queries, Wang said he was raised by his grandparents in a remote village in Guizhou province and his parents worked elsewhere to support his studies.

Having also experienced failures in starting businesses, Wang said he wouldn't recommend all college students do so, but strongly urged them to develop innovative minds, which will benefit them in whatever they do.