A 56-Year-Old Millionaire Who Failed Country's Toughest Exam For 27th Time, Still Dreaming To Be An Intellectual, Studying 12 Hours Daily

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New Delhi: Chinese millionaire Liang Shi, 56, took the "gaokao," the nation's most difficult college entrance exam, for the 27th time. Liang's goal of enrolling at China's prestigious Sichuan University has remained elusive despite his lucrative business. For students hoping to get into prestigious colleges, passing China's demanding college entrance exam, known as the "gaokao," has come to represent success.

What Is Gaokao?

Gaokao is well renowned for its competitive nature and the large stakes it bears for candidates, much like India's Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). ()

The self-made millionaire Mr. Shi has taken the testing "gaokao" numerous times over the past four decades in an effort to gain admission to the prestigious Sichuan University and realise his dream of being "an intellectual." 

Liang Shi: Background

By most standards, Liang has had a prosperous existence. He rose from a lowly position on a factory floor to starting his own building materials company, earning millions of yuan in the process, but his dreams of attending university have thus far remained unfulfilled.

He has put in 12-hour study days, given up drinking and playing mahjong, and put up with the media calling him a "gaokao holdout" and internet skepticism that it's all a publicity gimmick in his pursuit of a coveted higher education.

Nevertheless, Liang fell 34 points shy of the provincial cutoff for admission to any university this year after spending months living "an ascetic monk" style.

"I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to get a high enough score to enter an elite university before I got the result," he told AFP. But I didn't anticipate failing to get into the typical ones.

The grey-haired businessman carefully keyed in his exam identifying information just before 10 p.m. on Friday, along with countless high-school students across southwest Sichuan province, and anxiously awaited to learn how he did.

Liang could tell the outcome wasn't great before he ever saw the screen because several local media reporters were watching the action live and were eagerly checking for updates.