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| Wang ZiJie Passes Away Suddenly in Shanghai, Siba Media Confirms. (Credits: Weibo) |
The Chinese entertainment industry woke up to grim news this week as Wang ZiJie, the founder of SNH48 and a key architect of the modern idol system in China, died on 14 April 2026 at 19:00 local time in Shanghai following a sudden heart condition.
He was 63. The confirmation came two days later via an official obituary from Siba Media, ending hours of online speculation that had already begun circulating the night before.
Siba Media’s statement was direct and clinical, noting that emergency medical efforts failed to revive him.
By the morning of 16 April, the company’s social media accounts and official website had quietly switched to black-and-white, a digital mourning signal that did not go unnoticed. If anything, it only confirmed what many online had already feared.
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| Siba Statement |
Wang ZiJie was not just another executive behind the scenes. He was, for better or worse, one of the defining figures of China’s idol economy.
After founding Jiuyou in 2003, he pivoted into entertainment with the creation of SNH48 in 2012, adapting and localising the Japanese AKB-style group model into something distinctly Chinese.
That move reshaped the industry’s structure, turning trainee systems, fan voting, and idol rankings into a full-blown business machine.
It also launched careers. Among the most notable names is Ju Jingyi, often dubbed the “once-in-4,000-years beauty”, a label that arguably did as much for her visibility as it did for internet discourse.
Under Wang Zijie’s system, artists like her rose rapidly into top-tier celebrity status, backed by a formula that mixed fan engagement with relentless content output.
The idol groups founded under Siba Media (also known as Star48) by Wang Zijie include:
- SNH48 (Shanghai) — 2012
- BEJ48 (Beijing) — 2016
- GNZ48 (Guangzhou) — 2016
- SHY48 (Shenyang) — 2017 (Disbanded 2019)
- CKG48 (Chongqing) — 2017
- CGT48 (Chengdu) — 2023
- JNR48 (Junior48 project)
- IDOLS Ft — 2019
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Online reactions have been, predictably, mixed but intense. Some fans expressed genuine shock, pointing out how quickly the rumour cycle turned into confirmed news.
Others took a more reflective tone, acknowledging Wang Zijie’s influence in building an industry that, while hugely successful, has also been criticised for its pressures and controversies.
Still, across most platforms, there’s a consistent thread: recognition. Whether admired or debated, Wang ZiJie’s role in shaping China’s entertainment landscape is not up for argument.
His contributions earned him multiple industry honours, including recognition as one of the most influential figures in China’s gaming sector and accolades tied to Shanghai’s cultural development.
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Siba Media has stated that posthumous arrangements are underway, with chairwoman Wang Jing and the management team set to continue operations. In corporate terms, it’s business as usual. In reality, replacing a founder figure is never that simple.
The system he built is designed to keep moving, with or without him — polished, efficient, and always trending. But behind that machine was a man whose decisions quietly shaped a generation of idols and fans alike.