Archive · 31 Jul 2026
Chinese BBQ Owner Gains Fame for Elon Musk Lookalike
A man named Ma Jianping runs a barbecue restaurant in China.
A video of him cooking went viral on Douyin, the Chinese TikTok, because he looks a lot like Elon Musk, the famous tech CEO.
People saw the video and started making memes and jokes.
After the video, many more customers came to his restaurant just to see him and take pictures.
Ma says he feels shy and nervous about the attention and wants to keep working at the restaurant instead of becoming an online star.
Ma Jianping, a 48‑year‑old barbecue owner, gained viral fame after a Douyin video showed him resembling Elon Musk.
The July 26 video received over 1.3 million likes and turned his Tongchuan restaurant into a tourist spot.
Ma says the sudden attention makes him "shy and nervous" and he has no plans to change careers or become an influencer.
Customer numbers at his restaurant have doubled since the video went viral, with many visitors seeking selfies and conversations.
Despite offers, Ma has declined business deals and continues to serve customers from 9 a.m. until midnight.
- Who
- Ma Jianping, a Chinese barbecue restaurant owner
- What
- He became famous for resembling Elon Musk after a viral video
- When
- July 26, 2024
- Where
- Tongchuan, Shaanxi province, China
- Why
- The resemblance sparked memes and increased customer traffic
- Name
- Ma Jianping
- Age
- 48
- Occupation
- Barbecue restaurant owner
- Location
- Tongchuan, Shaanxi, China
- Viral video date
- July 26, 2024
- Likes
- 1.3 million
- Customer increase
- doubled
