Bloomberg: The Mysterious Billionaire Behind the World's Most Popular Vapes (Heaven Gifts)

Statement:

1. All information in this article is sourced from Bloomberg reports. The facts and data listed in the article only represent the views of the original author.

2. The author of the Bloomberg article reached out to 2Firsts for an interview on the relevant issues. However, Alan Zhao, the founder and CEO of 2Firsts, declined to provide commentary on any specific individuals, instead offering a written analysis on the industry-level aspects such as product categories and compliance.

On March 4th, Bloomberg published an article titled "The Mysterious Billionaire Behind the World's Most Popular Vapes," detailing how Heaven Gifts and its controlling shareholder transformed their e-cigarette business from a small online shop into a global industry worth billions of dollars. 

The article mentioned that Heaven Gifts started as an online store and gradually became a prominent player in the e-cigarette industry, introducing brands like Geekvape, Lost Mary, and Elf Bar, which have captured markets worldwide. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the controlling shareholder's net worth is estimated to be $2.9 billion, and his core company, iMiracle Shenzhen Technologies Ltd., has 30 million customers in over 80 countries. (Original text: Heaven Gifts has at least 30 million customers in more than 80 countries, and a survey of US e-cigarette users conducted in October by research firm ECigIntelligence found that Geekvape and Lost Mary were the two most popular brands, with Elf Bar not far behind. Zhang’s wealth has risen in step, to the point that he’s now worth $2.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which calculated his net worth for the first time for this story. ）

The success of Heaven Gifts is credited to its keen market insight and flexible response to regulations. The company specializes in disposable e-cigarettes, offering a wide variety of flavors at affordable prices to attract consumers, particularly in the European and American markets. However, the company also faces regulatory challenges. In the US, it has been accused of ignoring FDA regulations to profit from regulatory loopholes, while in the UK, Elf Bar has faced criticism for illegal products and false advertising. The article mentioned that Heaven Gifts' strategy includes splitting brands (such as Funky Lands, EB Create) to evade regulations and establishing a production base in Shenzhen to supply the global market. 

The article also highlighted competition from major tobacco companies and an investigation by the US International Trade Commission that Heaven Gifts is facing. Nevertheless, Trump's promise to "save e-cigarettes" may provide some breathing room for the company, although his specific policies are still unclear. A spokesperson for Heaven Gifts was interviewed for the article, stating that the company is withdrawing from the US market and aiming to expand its business in Europe. However, the article noted that their products are still circulating in the US, indicating that compliance commitments have not been fully met.

The above is compiled based on the English content. Please refer to the original English text for accuracy. (Read the original article)