Cantopop star Eason Chan ‘very stressed’ after a year of unemployment has him down to $3.8 million

Cantopop star Eason Chan recently revealed in a livestream that he is “very stressed” because he has 30 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $3.82 million) in his bank account.

Speaking to his fans, Chan, 47, revealed that his savings might only last for around two years after accounting for all of his expenses.

“I’m really very stressed now. Because of the pandemic, I haven’t had work in about a year,” Chan said, further explaining that he also pays around HK$600,000 (approximately $76,000) a month on housing expenses.

The multi-award-winning artist said in an interview in 2020 that his income almost became zero due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2019 Hong Kong protests. He was scheduled to hold 25 concerts in December 2019 and January 2020, but they were postponed because of the protests.

Chan reportedly needed to pay Adidas HK$60 million (approximately $7.65 million) last year after cutting ties with the sports apparel brand as its ambassador over the Xinjiang cotton controversy.

The singer also revealed that he has been giving his wife, former actor Hilary Tsui, a monthly allowance, which adds to his growing list of monthly expenses.

“What do I work so hard for? It’s for her to spend,” Chan said in a past interview, explaining he does not manage his wife’s spending habits.

Chan’s confession during his livestream garnered different reactions from his fans. Some tried to relate to the singer, while others criticized him for “wanting too much.”

“Just like we can’t imagine what makes rich people happy, perhaps we also can’t imagine what brings them suffering,” one fan wrote.

“Maybe a celebrity being left with HK$30 million is equivalent to me having only HK$300 [approximately $38],” another fan said.

Other fans said his concerns are baseless, explaining that he could earn a substantial amount of money “with just one concert” since he is a well-known singer in the Cantopop industry. In 2013, he was even ranked sixth on Forbes China’s Celebrity 100 list.

On April 19, Chan posted teaser images on Weibo of what appears to be a new project. The singer did not elaborate on his post, which includes a video camera emoji and a few behind-the-scenes pictures.

Featured Image via Eason Chan

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