Recently, I’ve been pondering a question: how many legendary figures have there been in the crypto world? When I think of Sun Ge, I realize his story is truly extraordinary.
Talking about Sun Ge, many people’s first reaction is “cutting leeks,” but if you really understand his background, you'll find that label is just surface-level. Peking University graduate, University of Pennsylvania law master's degree, United Nations representative… each of these alone could make someone boast for a lifetime, but Sun Ge managed to turn all of them into his own.
His starting point was actually quite rough. A native of Qingdao, Shandong, he moved around in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Huizhou during childhood. Later, he gained fame by participating in the New Concept Composition Contest, winning first place after four consecutive attempts. This award directly opened the door to Peking University. He initially studied Chinese, then switched to History, and even became a campus celebrity. You have to admit, his execution power is incredible.
The real turning point came in the United States. While studying for his law master's at Penn, Sun Ge met early Bitcoin investor Li Xiaolai. This coincidence led him into the blockchain circle. Interestingly, he didn’t buy Bitcoin directly; instead, he chose Ripple (XRP), which was only $0.0002 at the time, and later soared to $1.5, appreciating tens of thousands of times. He also didn’t miss Ethereum, which brought similarly astonishing returns.
But Sun Ge clearly didn’t want to rely solely on investing in others’ projects. He co-founded TRON with four blockchain enthusiasts, which was where he truly began to showcase his marketing talent. Among the five founders, only one was technically skilled; the others were marketing experts, especially Sun Ge himself. The first round of fundraising for TRX raised 600 million RMB, and subsequent rounds of funding and token issuance brought him at least 2 billion RMB in revenue.
In 2017, when domestic regulatory storms hit, Sun Ge quickly shifted overseas, eventually settling in Grenada, even becoming the country’s representative to the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. His quick response was truly one of the fastest I’ve seen.
In 2019, there was controversy over his $30 million bid for a lunch with Warren Buffett, but Sun Ge managed to turn this into a marketing opportunity by delaying multiple times and riding hot topics, finally meeting Buffett in 2020 and reaping huge benefits. His marketing mindset is truly exceptional.
In 2022, Sun Ge acquired a major exchange that was once among the top three globally, which sparked quite a controversy after rebranding. Later, U.S. regulators filed multiple charges against this exchange and Sun Ge, leading to ongoing challenges.
Honestly, Sun Ge’s story is a classic mix of “success + controversy.” His success stems from top-tier education, sharp market instincts, and super-strong execution, but some of his operations have also triggered widespread doubts. Still, he hasn’t forgotten to give back—he’s created the Zodiac animal heads, donated to Hope Schools, and these actions show he still has a sense of social responsibility.
As a post-90s generation figure, Sun Ge is undoubtedly successful, but his story also reminds us that in this unpredictable market, opportunity and risk often go hand in hand. Sometimes, behind seemingly glamorous success, there are countless controversies and challenges. That’s why we need to stay vigilant, not blindly follow the trend, and find our own rhythm amid market fluctuations.
