Double 11: Li Jiaqi’s Livestream is Breaking Records $3.4 billion in sales.

Li Jiaqi—the “King of Lipstick” just shook up the game during Singles Day this year, reportedly moving over 25 billion RMB ($3.4 billion) in products. That’s right, one influencer, $3.4 billion in sales. But here’s where it gets interesting…

Let’s talk numbers: Reports claim Li hit 25 billion RMB in gross merchandise value (GMV) during the event, with 9.5 billion RMB on the first day alone. Those are city-level sales numbers—people on Weibo were literally saying things like, “There are entire cities in China that don’t pull in 25 billion RMB a year!” And they’re not wrong. The reaction? Over 6,000 likes on that comment alone. It was like a wildfire on social media.

But Li’s team, Meione (Shanghai) Network Technology Co., quickly stepped in to squash the buzz, saying they’ve never shared any official sales numbers for Singles Day. They labeled the reported figure as inaccurate, yet the story was already blowing up on Weibo, where it took the top trending spot by Nov. 13. When something hits that level of buzz, it’s not just a story—it’s a movement.

Now, let’s get real about the backlash. Some people are calling Li Jiaqi’s success a double-edged sword for the economy. One user said, “Li Jiaqi’s income is in the billions, but it comes at the cost of 180,000 jobs.” Another pointed out the impact of e-commerce on traditional retail jobs, which is a long-running debate. It’s a shift we’re seeing globally, and Li Jiaqi is just the most visible example of what’s happening in digital sales vs. brick-and-mortar

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Taobao Live is Lit! Li Jiaqi’s Livestream is Breaking Records and Emptying Wallets! 💥

Every day, RMB 2 billion in red packets and vouchers are up for grabs, and each user can scoop up to RMB 1,500 across the livestream rooms. 🔥

Tmall’s Double 11 pre-sale kicked off with a bang at 8 PM on October 14, and Li Jiaqi’s livestream alone hit RMB 1 billion in sales within minutes! 🚀 Insiders at Meione report that this year’s pre-sale “add-to-cart” amount is up over 20% from last year.

Fan-favorite products like Curevé, Cetaphil, Zhenmeiya, Valentino, L’Oréal, and Clarins sold out in seconds, sending viewers rushing to snag deals! 🏃‍♀️💨

And it’s not just Li Jiaqi driving the action—other livestreamers are shattering records, too! 🎉 Channels like Mifeng Surprise Club, Mushroom Is Here, Chen Jie Kiki, Lie’er Baobei, and Hu Ke each hit RMB 1 billion in sales within the first hour, breaking last year’s speed records by a mile! ⚡

This explosive momentum shows that livestreaming is now the heart of e-commerce, with rapid-fire deals, in-demand products, and popular personalities fueling shopper excitement. As the Double 11 countdown heats up, expect even more sellouts and jaw-dropping records. 🛒✨

Livestreaming is also driving huge growth in categories like pet care. 🐱 🐶 Within just four hours of pre-sales, pet-related livestream transactions shot up 123% year-on-year. Brands like NetEase Yanxuan, Myfoodie, Royal Canin, and pidan each raked in over RMB 1 million in sales from their livestream rooms.

And then there’s the controversy: Li Jiaqi sparked a wave of criticism leading up to Singles Day when he clapped back at viewers complaining about high prices, saying if they couldn’t afford it, it was on them. The reaction? Not great. It hit a nerve, and it opened up discussions about affordability, spending power, and the pressure around Singles Day.

So, what’s Singles Day? It started out as a fun “treat yourself” day for singles but, thanks to Alibaba’s CEO Daniel Zhang, it’s now the world’s biggest shopping event. Discounts, live events, influencer hype—it’s all there. And while Li Jiaqi may be controversial, his sales numbers are proof that the power of livestream e-commerce in China is only getting stronger.

Conclusion: Li Jiaqi’s breaking records, breaking wallets, and breaking norms. Like it or not, he’s redefining how products move in China’s digital world.