Overview
- On Nov. 16, founder Yu Minhong emailed staff from Antarctica for the company’s 32nd anniversary, using polar scenery and penguins as metaphors for the firm and its employees.
- Screenshots circulated on Chinese social platforms as self-identified staff and netizens mocked the message as tone-deaf, contrasting long hours and pay pressure with the founder’s trip.
- By Nov. 18, Yu had posted multiple Antarctica travel videos and noted earlier lack of signal, while neither he nor New Oriental had issued a formal corporate response.
- Analysts quoted in coverage said the episode is unlikely to cause major short‑term business damage unless new factors emerge.
- Reports placed the reaction in the context of New Oriental’s recovery—fiscal 2025 net revenue about $4.9 billion and net profit $372 million—as online estimates of luxury cruise costs versus typical teacher wages intensified the optics of inequality.