Shein’s CEO is so low-profile that even his own employees don’t recognize him

Silhouette of a man at a desk (Credit: John Rensten—Getty Images)

In America, where we tend to celebrate successful individuals who turn ideas into multimillion-dollar companies, it’s a little odd to think of a CEO—especially one heading a company as colossal as Shein—going unrecognized by his own employees. 

And yet that’s apparently the case for Shein’s 40-year-old CEO Xu Yangtian, also known as Chris Xu or Sky Xu, who has largely avoided the public eye, including interviews and conferences. The secrecy surrounding him is being seen as unusual even in China.