Bankers Replaced by Tech PhDs as Xi Sparks New Fund Talent War

  • The trend reflects a shift underway in China’s tech landscape
  • VCs with science degrees now command top dollar in China

Youth attending a job fair in Beijing in August. 

Photographer: Jade Gao/AFP/Getty Images

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One in five Chinese youths can’t find a job. Oliver Jiang has to fight off employers with a stick.

When the first-time job-seeker posted his resume on a recruitment website earlier this year, his inbox exploded and his phone buzzed non-stop. The 28-year-old doctoral grad spent the following month turning away suitors -- including one that promised him 15 months of pay a year -- before landing his dream job at a $600 million investment firm.