To Wear the Crown, You Must Bear Its Weight

The phrase “To wear the crown, you must bear its weight” originates from Shakespeare’s writings. This time, I’ll use this phrase as the theme of my article. Why am I writing this in Chinese? Because, at present, this issue is particularly common in Asia—especially in fast-growing economies, such as with the rise of Douyin (TikTok in China). The emergence of online media has created countless internet personalities: livestreamers, influencers, and independent content creators. This is, in many ways, a positive trend, as it allows more people to access knowledge and more individuals to rise to fame and success. Of course, it’s not entirely a good thing.

Many people ask me: “Why isn’t achieving fame and success a good thing? If you’re rich and famous, you can do whatever you want, and your life is less stressful.”

But as I said at the beginning—if you wear the crown, you must bear its weight.

A perfect example is internet influencers. Many people dream of becoming one, but do you truly understand the hardship and perseverance behind it? It’s not as simple as posting a photo and getting tens of thousands of likes. If you want to be an influencer, you must handle the pressure that comes with it—especially online pressure. If there are people who like you, there will also be people who dislike you. You can’t expect everyone to like you. If you take advantage of the benefits of being an influencer but can’t handle criticism, then you shouldn’t be in this business.

As a celebrity, everyone pays attention to you. You crave that attention, yet also want the privacy of an ordinary person—that’s nearly impossible. When you become a star, earn more money than you can ever spend, and then complain about having no privacy, you’re facing a contradictory reality.

In this world, everything comes with a cost. You have to give something to get something. A friend of mine is an executive at an investment bank on Wall Street. Once, in conversation, he showed me his schedule: in two months, he had traveled to 27 cities across 4 countries, averaging about two days per city, with only one day of rest in between. He made a lot of money, but behind that income was immense effort.

Some people ask me: “Do lazy people get to avoid paying the price?” This idea is obviously wrong. In reality, even lazy people pay a price for their lifestyle. Their pain lies in watching those who work hard enjoy a comfortable life while they remain trapped in lethargy. While others work diligently and fight for their future, they’re content to stay home, lost in video games and beer. The reality they face is that others can travel the world and experience vibrant lives, while they are confined to their own corner.

Some may argue this doesn’t count as “paying a price,” but in truth, every time excessive drinking leads to health problems, that is a cost. Those who exercise daily earn a healthy body through effort. Lazy people also “pay” in their own way—while others sweat and resist temptation, they indulge. This contrast not only reveals lifestyle differences but also reminds us that every choice carries its own costs and rewards.

When it comes to our careers, we should choose an industry we truly enjoy and can stick with—but we must also understand the hard work and sweat that come with it. I am in the investment and private equity field, and having chosen this path, I must understand it and study it.

When I was in college, I began investing in stocks, thinking only about how much money others were making, without seriously learning. The price I paid was my money—I lost a lot because I didn’t study or understand what I was doing.

Take private equity as an example—every project involves a different company, and behind each company is the knowledge of its industry. As an emerging fund manager, my job is to understand each project: identify the risks, predict future development, and study accounting, financial statements, and management. Can this company be well-managed? Many people think that as a fund manager, you don’t need to understand these things, but in reality, they often determine success or failure. It’s not just about giving money to invest.

Tesla and NIO both raised huge amounts of capital, but one became a multinational giant while the other got stuck in fierce internal competition. We should not only learn from the successes but also understand the reasons for failure. Even if someone handed you one billion dollars today, you might not be able to keep it. Every path must be walked with dedication, because behind every choice is a price to be paid.

Everyone makes choices, and you must work for yours. Every choice demands a price—whether it’s laziness or greed, it comes with a cost. Nothing is free. I hope everyone chooses their path wisely. To wear the crown, you must bear its weight.