Wei’s venture into supplementary education prompts criticism that he is profiting from his fame at the expense of his academic reputation
2-MIN READ2-MINFran Luin BeijingPublished: 6:00pm, 27 Aug 2026Updated: 6:03pm, 27 Aug 2026A famous Chinese mathematician known for his dishevelled genius image recently began selling workbooks for primary and secondary school students, which were quickly sold out within days.
Wei Dongyi, 35, is an associate professor in the Mathematics Department at Peking University.
He gained instant fame in 2021 after a vox pop on the Peking University campus. In the video, he appears dressed simply, carrying a 1.5-litre plastic bottle of water and a bag of steamed buns.
In the clip, he shared that he has studied at Peking University since his bachelor’s degree and is now a teacher there. Although he comes across as introverted, he remains unfazed, a characteristic later described by his admirers as typical of genius.
Wei’s remarkable past was uncovered by curious onlookers. The mathematician from Shandong province in eastern China was a mathematics prodigy.
