拼爹 (pīn diē)

ETYMOLOGY

The term gained popularity around 2010 during China's social media boom, fueled by three landmark incidents:

The 2011 'My father is Li Gang' hit-and-run case, where the perpetrator flaunted his father's political powerExposés of nepotism in university admissionsProperty market regulations revealing stark generational wealth gapsNetizens used 'Daddy's privilege' to satirize the traditional Chinese value of 'hard work conquers all', creating dark humor social commentary. It later spawned variations like 'The Era of Competing Dads' and influenced labels like 'Fu Er Dai' (rich second-generation).

Example: 'Don't bother applying for that internship - it's already reserved for someone whose dad plays golf with the CEO.'