The World's Richest Man's Mom Was Spotted Shopping at Miniso — and Buying Plushies

Shoppers at Miniso's global flagship on Shanghai's Nanjing East Road got a surprise this week when Maye Musk — mother of Elon and a billionaire-adjacent celebrity in her own right — strolled through the store, working her way from the first floor to the third and leaving with a bag full of original Miniso IP plushies.

The internet lost it. Chinese social media quickly latched onto the contrast: a woman who could walk into any luxury boutique on the planet chose a domestic retailer known for its sub-$5 knickknacks. "The closest I'll ever get to the world's richest man is through this purchase," one commenter joked. The topic shot onto Weibo's trending list.

The "wait, what?" factor here is the whole story. Miniso has spent the past couple of years quietly building a fanbase for its original character IP, and this moment landed right on top of that effort.

Two characters stood out in Maye's haul. YOYO is Miniso's first original artist IP, already in 53 countries and territories. CHOUCHOU is a brand-new original character with singer Chris Lee (Li Yuchun) attached as its chief creative officer — and its first product drop sold out immediately. A billionaire's mom buying these off the shelf is, in effect, the most organic product placement the brand could ask for.

The location matters too. MINISO LAND, the company's global flagship, has been a hit with overseas tourists since opening in 2024 — a deliberate channel upgrade that pairs high-traffic retail with Instagrammable, IP-heavy merchandising. This sighting only cements that positioning.

And it's not a one-off. Miniso has been running what you might call "leaked sighting" marketing for a while now: Katy Perry's concert raining GIFT BEAR plushies, actress Dong Xuan bringing her daughter to pose with a giant YOYO figure, and now Maye Musk walking out with a bag. Each time, the charm is the same — famous people treating Miniso as a normal errand, which somehow says more than any glossy ad could.

When a hundred-billion-dollar family name drops by for plushies, the brand wins. The real genius is that Miniso looks like it didn't even have to try.