Monday, Apr. 04, 2011
Han Han
Age: 28
Occupation: Race-car driver, author, singer, blogger
Previous TIME 100 appearances: 1
The most versatile and most popular celebrity in China, Han Han adroitly criticizes the country's foibles, including Internet restrictions, without getting into too much trouble. Fame can be a shield. But it does not guarantee success. In 2009, he made an online solicitation for articles for a magazine he wanted to start. The first issue of Party was finally published in 2010 and immediately shot to the top of the best-seller list on Amazon.com in China. However, booksellers had trouble with some of Party's content; Han had trouble finding another company willing to print the magazine, which never saw a second edition.