Two months ago, Justin Sun celebrated his 34th birthday.
Before he was 30, his halo came from a long list of dazzling titles: Peking University, cover figure of Asia Weekly, Ivy League school (University of Pennsylvania) graduate, Davos Forum Global Outstanding Youth, the first batch of Jack Ma Lakeside University and the only post-90s student...
He started a business while studying abroad at the age of 22. At the age of 24, he returned to China as the chief representative of Ripple Labs in Greater China and founded Ripple and served as CEO. At the age of 25, he was named "China's Internet Newcomer of the Year" by CNTV. At the age of 27, he founded the blockchain platform TRON and was selected into the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in the same year. At the age of 29, he took a lunch with Buffett...
However, along with his dazzling achievements, he has also been in the whirlpool of public opinion. The media and industry insiders have raised many controversies about his bold business methods, frequent self-marketing and the compliance of his projects. Some people praised him for being the first, while others criticized him for being too ostentatious. He does not seem to care about these evaluations from the outside world, whether positive or negative.
You will find that every controversy and every news headline has become part of his personal branding.
Nine years ago, in 2015, under an interview with a reporter from The Paper, the reporter wrote: "Justin Sun, 25 years old this year, is undoubtedly a prominent figure among the post-90s entrepreneurs. He is both brilliant and controversial. The voices of doubt mainly focus on the constant changes in his life trajectory and the almost paranoid enthusiasm he has shown since he started his business."
Today, the 34-year-old Justin Sun is still active at the forefront of the blockchain industry. Every move he makes is like being under the spotlight and attracting much attention. This almost paranoid enthusiasm, like an invisible hand, keeps pushing him forward.
Justin Sun Illustration by Pedro Brisola
Liberland "Prime Minister"Justin Sun
Recently, Justin Sun has been given a new title - "Prime Minister"Justin Sun
On October 10, according to a document disclosed by Twitter blogger @tier10k, the internationally unrecognized micro-country of Liberland announced the results of its latest parliamentary election. Justin Sun won the election and was nominated by Liberland President Vit Jedlička as acting prime minister.
On October 11, Justin Sun confirmed on social media that he had been elected Prime Minister of Liberland.
Screenshot of Justin Sun’s Twitter
According to an official statement from Liberland, the votes were counted at 5 a.m. Central European Time on October 6, marking the first full deployment of the country's blockchain-based election system. The election process uses a simple set of rules and is fully algorithmic, designed to provide transparency and eliminate doubts about the election results.
Which country is Liberland?
According to Wikipedia, Liberland, whose full name is the Free Republic of Liberland, literally means "free land", is a private state founded by Czech politician Vít Jedlicka on April 13, 2015. It claims sovereignty over a territory called "Upper Siga" on the west bank of the Danube River, on the border between Serbia and Croatia.
Image source: Wikipedia
Justin Sun said that Liberland is not only a country, but also a manifestation of a political philosophy that advocates freedom, minimal government intervention and personal autonomy.
Justin Sun also described the vision of Liberland becoming a symbol of global liberal ideas, comparing it to the spiritual home of liberals. He emphasized that Liberland is the first country whose relationship with citizens is based on common principles and values rather than blood or geographical boundaries. Everything is based on voluntary participation and mutual respect.
He wants to actively promote the idea of small government, not only within Liberland but also as a model for the world. He said Liberland's success could inspire other countries to embrace liberal principles and show that minimal government can bring stability and prosperity without excessive regulation or coercion.
This latest appointment undoubtedly reminds people of Justin Sun's experience as Grenada's Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2021.
Justin Sun's actions are as always full of unexpected elements, often challenging people's understanding of traditional entrepreneurs. His frequent cross-border and bold actions not only surprise the public, but also often trigger ridicule and heated discussions.
As someone joked: "Brother Sun is at it again."
In 2021, Justin Sun served as Grenada's permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary
Justin Sun under scrutiny
Whether it’s being elected Prime Minister of Liberland or frequently creating topics in the cryptocurrency world and global politics, it always sparks a lot of discussion and controversy.
Supporters believe that he broke traditional rules and boundaries and promoted the combination of liberalism and innovation, while critics believe that he is an opportunist who manipulates public opinion through "traffic" and walks on the edge of the rules.
Challenging the rules seems to be his usual path, and it is this behavior of constantly challenging traditional authority and institutions that puts him at the center of constant scrutiny. People can't help but wonder: Is he really fighting for the concept of freedom, or is he accumulating more capital and influence for himself?
Sometimes the media generally regards him as a single image. This single perspective simplifies his words and actions, which not only affects the public's overall understanding of him, but also makes the discussion one-sided and unable to explore in depth his actions.
The impact in the industry.
We are both interested in his achievements and questioning his motives. For a man who has been challenging traditional authority and institutions, it is natural to wonder what his ultimate goal is.
Justin Sun’s career can be seen as an ongoing game. His attempts and explorations in different fields actually reveal the challenges of a post-90s entrepreneur.
Therefore, Justin Sun is not only a public figure under scrutiny, but also an individual struggling between self-expression and public expectations. Understanding a person does require a deeper perspective, beyond simple labels and prejudices, to truly grasp his complexity.
I would like to use some interesting perspectives to analyze Justin Sun on other levels.
“I” Person Justin Sun
Over the years, Justin Sun appearance seems to have not changed much. In formal occasions, he always wears a suit, often hiding a short-sleeved T-shirt with the brand logo under the suit jacket, and a pair of clean and neat Nike white shoes on his feet, matched with a pair of casual trousers.
People outside the circle want to understand him, but people inside the circle seem to know him well enough.
Many people may not know that although he always seems to be talkative and in control of the overall situation, he is actually a typical "I" person (introverted personality).
Justin Sun has tested himself and found that he is a standard INTP personality, that is, a logician personality.
INTP is one of the sixteen personality types in the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Identification (MBTI). INTPs are known for their calmness and rationality. They like to delve into the core of a problem and pursue the depth of thinking rather than staying on the surface.
Who are the famous logicians? Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, etc. are all INTPs. People with this personality type tend to think ahead and are good at finding logical clues that ordinary people cannot see.
INTP lives in his own world and rationalizes everything according to his own logic.
Although he is very "I", Justin Sun is more sensitive and interested in emerging things than many people, especially in the field of blockchain technology.
Huobi HTX spokesperson Liu Ye (@HTX_liuyego) revealed: “INTPs of Justin Sun’s level are often ahead of others in their awareness. He is always able to think outside the box and see future trends that most people haven’t noticed. He has a very high sensitivity to the understanding and judgment of emerging things, especially in the fields of blockchain and technological innovation.”
Judging from his personality, Justin Sun is indeed the kind of person who dares to break the rules and is full of curiosity.
Taking HTX DAO as an example, Liu Ye told me that he really wanted to achieve decentralized governance through the platform. Even if some management did not understand his decision at first, these initiatives often succeeded in the end.
From Justin Sun’s perspective, HTX DAO is closely tied to the company’s development. By operating the Huobi HTX platform well, the value of $HTX will grow accordingly, just like the stock price grows when you operate a company.
However, like other INTPs, his independent thinking and unique decision-making methods often cause doubts and confusion from the outside world. Justin Sun seems to always ignore these voices, because in his world, everything already has his own answer.
Justin Sun, the "Model Worker"
Last month, the community spontaneously began to "flood"Justin Sun, calling him a model worker in the Web3 field and a true Builder.
You will find that Justin Sun has been active in the blockchain industry for more than ten years.
The bigwigs of his generation have either retreated behind the scenes or retired long ago and started traveling around.
Some time ago, Ethereum founder Vitalik became the focus of attention because of his love affair, while the single Justin Sun became another hot topic in the community.
Justin Sun once mentioned in a sharing session that he almost has no holidays. Whether it is a weekday or a holiday, he is always on call 24 hours a day.
In a podcast called "Open Your Mouth" in May this year, the host asked him: "What is your philosophy of work and life?"
Justin Sun replied: “Everything I have can give way to work. I think at this stage, work is the only important thing, and everything else can be given up for it. I am like a professional player, repeating training every day to pursue the best condition.”
Many people wonder if he doesn't sleep because he is always full of energy, surfing social platforms 24 hours a day, and showing great agility to any hot spots.
In that podcast he said that in a sense he wanted to be like an artificial intelligence, or like a robot, and he wanted to minimize his emotional fluctuations.
“Running a company is my only hobby.”
He has a great passion for entrepreneurship and business, and devotes almost all his time and energy to it.
As a result, from the perspective of outside perception, Justin Sun’s personality seems to be no longer so flamboyant.
He is now only focused on doing what he should do, making TRON more "popular" and leading Huobi HTX to "return to the top three."
Justin Sun shared his outlook on Huobi HTX when he attended the Huobi HTX 11th Anniversary Theme Series in August. He felt that to some extent, Huobi HTX's 11-year operation was a success. Then he started talking again:
"Jack Ma said that most Japanese companies have a history of 100 years. We also want to be a 100-year-old company. Although this is not easy in the financial industry, we will continue to work hard. In the Web3 field, there are even fewer companies that can last for 11 years, but Huobi HTX has done it. In the past 11 years, our industry has developed greatly. In the crypto, everything is possible. There may be reasons to interpret this sentence from a positive or negative perspective. In the past 11 years, the development of the crypto has far exceeded that of traditional industries."
Justin Sun, who was “criticized as an exception”
Later you will find that many people in the crypto scold Justin Sun, but they regard Justin Sun as an exception.
Initially, everyone was concerned about what Justin Sun bought and sold, and speculated whether "Brother Sun" would dump the market. Over time, this concern gradually evolved into the so-called "wealth code" within the community. Justin Sun's investment actions, especially his buying timing, have become an important basis for many investors to judge market trends.
Later, people gradually realized that all of Sun's addresses had become "smart addresses". Although they would occasionally "fail" (such as being trapped in Ethereum when he buy the dips), according to community feedback, his operation success rate was still quite high.
So there is a saying circulating in the community: "You can say that Brother Sun is lazy, but you can't say that Brother Sun is a bad cook."
Sometimes Justin Sun sees himself as an attacker, always striking at critical moments, just like the offensive style of his favorite football club AC Milan, but he also knows how to defend, just like Maldini's calmness and precision as a defender. When facing doubts and challenges, Justin Sun can often withstand all external attacks and criticisms in a unique way.
The style of being open and courageous in expressing oneself has gradually been restrained, and has turned into a more restrained and cautious attitude.
This change not only reflects his sensitivity to external voices, but also shows that he is more aware of weighing the consequences of his actions in the ever-changing industry environment.
These transformations are both contradictory and complementary.
The tide of the times and Justin Sun own abilities have worked together to create his current status.
His controversy may be due to his leading position in the industry, but his success stems from his ability to innovate and seize opportunities in a rapidly changing market.
Justin Sun 's "counterattack"
When he was young, Justin Sun liked to read Wang Xiaobo and Li Ao. Wang Xiaobo's humor and depth, Li Ao's sharpness and outspokenness all had a profound influence on Justin Sun when he was young.
In his essay "A Maverick Pig", Wang Xiaobo missed the free-spirited pig that could jump over hurdles like a goat, climb onto the roof and wander around like a cat, refuse to be castrated, and even rush out of the encirclement and fire of humans.
"A maverick pig" is still the spiritual idol of this era.
Twenty years after Wang Xiaobo's death, people still seem unable to escape the fate of "taking life as it is" and live a life of "slowly being hammered".
When Justin Sun was young, he had already decided to "escape" from this kind of life.
Justin Sun took the college entrance examination in Guangdong in 2007. At that time, the competition in Guangdong was still very fierce. There were 700,000 candidates in the same year. Peking University had 20 places for liberal arts in Guangdong. In the end, Justin Sun scored 650 points.
Before the exam, Justin Sun applied for Peking University’s Yuanpei Program as his first choice, and Peking University’s Chinese Department as his second choice. He was eventually admitted to the Chinese Department of Peking University.
Justin Sun himself said that his test scores in his second year of high school were actually not ideal. It took him a year in his third year of high school, plus the extra points from New Concept Essays, to make a comeback from a third-tier university to Peking University.
Wang Xiaobo explored the loneliness and rebellion of individuals in society in that era. Justin Sun's eccentricity is to choose a different path in a world that pursues norms and consistency.
His personality can be described as "extremely maverick" . When starting a business, he gained attention and resources in a unique way. This style is not only reflected in his business strategy, but also in his shaping of his public image.
However, being eccentric is not always smooth sailing; this kind of individuality brings attention and resources, but also doubts and criticisms.
In the process of constant reflection and adjustment, perhaps Justin Sun is trying to find a spiritual resonance with the eccentric pig in Wang Xiaobo's works - even in adversity, one must persist in being oneself and bravely pursue one's own path.
Justin Sun, the “ordinary man”
Putting aside all identities, sometimes Justin Sun is just an ordinary post-90s person.
I like all new things, watching football games, Taylor Swift concerts, F1, and even reposting some tweets from bloggers to "eat melons".
Sometimes Justin Sun is an absolute chatterbox.
Everyone who has come into contact with him says that his range of topics is surprisingly wide and he can talk endlessly about any topic.
He talked about "marriage" in a short video on his social platform. Although he is not very good at "dating", he can talk to you about marriage very well.
He reposted the WEB3 rap song "Chong On-Chain Meme" written by someone else, and maybe he was practicing freestyle alone at home.
He still loves to do "live work" and he will appear wherever there is work to be done.
Justin Sun of the “Crypto Wave”
At the beginning of the article, we wrote that Justin Sun was passionate about the vision of Liberland.
He hopes to make it a spiritual home for libertarians, just like the Vatican is for Catholics. Justin Sun explained: "Libertarians around the world may have their own nationalities and identities in different countries, but Liberland will become their ideological home, a place that respects the concepts of freedom, autonomy, and voluntary governance by citizens."
Back to the torrent of the blockchain and crypto world, his existence itself is full of contradictions and conflicts. These controversies and praises seem to have long become a foil on the stage of his life.
Does Justin Sun really care about these comments? When wealth has already poured in like a tide, these public opinions and outside views may have already become the "background noise" in his life and no longer have a substantial influence.
Wang Xiaobo wrote in his classic work "The Golden Age": "That day I was 21 years old, in the golden age of my life, and I had many extravagant hopes. I wanted to love, to eat, and to turn into a half-bright, half-dark cloud in the sky in an instant. Later I realized that life is a slow process of being hammered. As people get older, their extravagant hopes disappear day by day, and finally they become like a cow that has been hammered. I feel that I will always be strong and vigorous, and nothing can hammer me."
But as time goes by, people gradually understand that life is, as Wang Xiaobo said, a "slow hammering process". These dreams and extravagant hopes will be slowly shattered by reality, and eventually become as heavy as an ox, making it difficult to walk.
So, if Justin Sun were 22 years old again, would he choose to start a business again and step into the blockchain encryption wave without hesitation?
In the face of countless challenges and controversies, will he still maintain his original enthusiasm and vigor and rush forward fearlessly as he did in the past?
Just as the blockchain world itself is full of uncertainty, the 34-year-old is still at the forefront of the cryptocurrency world, continuing to catch the next wave.
