Yu Chengdong, the CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group (BG) and Chairman of Smart Car Solutions BU, has allegedly faced restrictions on using the phrase "far ahead," with a fine of 10,000 Yuan (~$1380) imposed each time he utters it. Despite these claims, Chengdong has refuted these allegations, labeling them as mere rumors.
Ren Zhengfei's Intervention
Reports suggest that Ren Zhengfei, the founder and CEO of Huawei Technologies, intervened to curb Chengdong from using the phrase. Zhao Hejuan, the founder of the Chinese publication "Titanium Media," initially brought attention to this issue.
Ren Zhengfei had reportedly no choice but to implement this restriction within Huawei, with a humorous tone evident in the message: “Lao Yu does indeed have a true temperament. According to reliable sources, Ren Zhengfei had no choice but to impose a ‘ban’ on Lao Yu within Huawei: every time he mentioned 'far ahead,' a fine of 10,000! hahaha” (translated from Chinese).
Denial and Public Attention
When questioned about this incident, Chengdong dismissed it as a rumor in a response on WeChat. Despite his denial, the news of this fine quickly gained traction, becoming a top trending topic on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.
In December 2023, during the company's annual conference, Chengdong addressed the issue, clarifying that he only used the term "far ahead" when describing a substantial lead or dominance in a particular field. He expressed regret that these instances had been turned into a source of amusement.
Influence on Others
At the recent Xiaomi SU7 launch conference, Lei Jun also employed the phrase "far ahead" to highlight the battery life performance of his car, followed by a jest acknowledging Chengdong's impact: “Okay, one generation ahead! I think Lao Yu successfully implanted the far ahead into us. On everyone’s mind” (translated).
