Handyman Geng's Long Hiatus Sparks Retirement Rumors
The popular Chinese video creator known as ‘Handyman Geng’ recently addressed speculation about his 5-month absence from social media, denying that his hiatus was due to making too much money. His company has also been deregistered, fueling further rumors.
The Chinese internet celebrity known as “Handyman Geng” has been noticeably absent from social media in recent months, leading many of his over 20 million fans to speculate on the reasons behind his disappearance. Geng, whose real name is Geng Shuai, last posted a video on May 21st.
On October 21st, after over 150 days with no new content from the beloved creator, the topic of Geng’s long hiatus began trending on Weibo,. Many wondered if the famously inventive handyman had quietly retired after amassing a fortune from his quirky viral videos.
Responding to the mounting speculation, Geng took to Weibo to clarify that he had not in fact quit social media or retired. “I haven’t quit the internet,” Geng wrote. “During this time I’ve made some things, but felt they weren’t good enough to post. It’s definitely not because I’ve made too much money. Please don’t spread rumors.”
He jokingly added that even his local grocer had stopped giving him small change, refuting claims of extravagant wealth. Geng reassured fans that he would post new videos soon.
Despite his assurances, Geng’s Shanghai-based sole proprietorship cultural media studio has already been deregistered as of September 2022 according to public business records. This has only added fuel to the speculation around his absence and future plans.
Geng, a self-styled inventor hailing from a village in Hebei province, rose to fame by posting videos of his creations cobbled together from scrap metal, plastic pipes, and other waste materials. His “useless inventions” like a meat cleaver cellphone holder and a watermelon splitting helmet earned him the nicknames “Hebei Edison” and “Useless King.”
With his unique charm and clever, if impractical, inventions, Handyman Geng amassed a huge following across Chinese social media platforms including Douyin (TikTok), Kuaishou, and Bilibili. Prior to his hiatus, Geng boasted over 8 million fans on Douyin alone.
As one of China’s most recognizable and beloved grassroots creators, Geng’s extended absence has not gone unnoticed. While he claims to still be tinkering away on new creations, it remains to be seen if and when Handyman Geng will return to regular posting. Until then, his millions of fans eagerly await his next “useless invention.”