Who is Wei Dongyi? Math genius reportedly gains over 20M followers in a few days of joining Douyin

Wei Dongyi, the Chinese mathematician, who is also an assistant professor and assistant researcher at the School of Mathematical Science, Peking University, recently joined Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, on June 4, 2025.

Within five days of making the account and posting his first video, which was an introductory video, Wei, by June 8, had gained over 20 million followers. As per SCMP, Wei now has 23 million followers on Douyin.

The reason Wei has such a massive following in just a few days is because of his modest appearance, intelligence, charisma, and the fact that he is a genius mathematician.

More about the mathematician, Wei Dongyi

Wei Dongyi, best known as China’s brightest mathematical minds, had recently set up a social media account on Douyin and amassed over 20 million followers. The account was made with the assistance of his family members, through which Wei will be sharing math-related content and will connect with the outside world.

He had first gained recognition when he was interviewed on the street while he was carrying a water bottle and a plastic bag with steamed buns. His humble and relatable persona had caught netizens' attention. Because of his appearance in the video, he was called the "sweeping monk" of Peking University.

Recently, he had posted his first video on the platform in which he introduced himself, and the video went viral with over 13 million likes. One of Dongyi's most recognizable achievements was when he helped a group of doctoral mathematicians with a mathematical model.

Dongyi had given them equations to alter the experiment, which then obtained a passing rate of 96%. Instead of taking money as compensation from the professors, Wei had just asked his transport card to be recharged.

Wei, nicknamed God Wei, completed his master's degree at Peking University and then went ahead and got a PhD in only three and a half years. His research field includes partial differential equations and differential geometry.

It is also reported that Wei had gotten an offer from Harvard University, which he declined, and instead, he chose to stay at Peking University. Apart from his academic achievements, he is viral among Chinese netizens for his simple living. From the recent video he posted, fans and netizens showed concern about his health as they noticed that Wei had lost some of his front teeth.

As per reports, his cousin mentioned that Wei suffers from periodontitis and has undergone medical treatment for the same. She also mentioned that he has been a vegetarian since childhood and keeps his protein intake on track by consuming eggs and milk. She also urged netizens not to worry, as his family constantly encourages him to take care of himself.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback