More than 80 percent of successful Shanghai entrepreneurs said they earned their "first bucket of gold" before 29, Shanghai Morning Post quotes a survey as saying. The "first bucket of gold" is a popular phrase in China's career-success books, meaning enough wealth to expand one's business from the mum-and-pop-shop scale.
In Shanghai, the first bucket of gold usually means about 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million).
Most Shanghai entrepreneurs started their businesses between the ages of 25 and 30, according to the survey.
People of this age are creative; enthusiastic; capable of learning and adapting; and ready to face challenges and take risks, said a survey analyst.
It is the right age for people to try their hand in sectors such as software; advertising; planning; consulting; and securities and investment, the analyst said.
(China Daily HK Edition October 17, 2002)
