China’s rich seek bodyguards schooled in digital dark arts
TIANJIN: At the “Genghis Security Academy”, which bills itself as China’s only bodyguard school, students learn that threats to the newly-rich in the tech age are more likely to emerge from a hacker than a gunman.
Each day, students in matching black business suits toil from dawn until midnight at the school in the eastern city here, where digital defences are given equal pegging to the traditional close-protection skillset of combat, weapons training and highspeed driving.
Around 1,000 graduate each year, hoping to land jobs as guards to China’s burgeoning ranks of rich and famous, positions which can be worth up to US$70,000 — several times more than an annual office wage.
But the school says it can’t meet demand as China’s rapid growth mints millionaires — 4.4 million according to a Credit Suisse 2019 report.
The course fees are up to US$3,000, and while they had to cancel training between February and June due to Covid-19, it has not dampened demand.
Only the best make the cut, says founder Chen Yongqing, insisting his disciplinarian standards are stricter than in the army.
“Only by being strict can we cultivate every good sword. If you don’t forge it well, it will break itself,” he said.
About half of the students are ex-military, Chen added.
But in a highly surveilled country with a low rate of street crime, the modern minder needs an up-to-date skillset, against state monitoring or professional hackers.
“Chinese bosses don’t need you to fight,” Chen tells his students.
Repelling hacks on mobile phones, network security, spotting eavesdroppers and wiping data are all required tools in the bodyguard’s armoury.
“What would you do if the boss wants to destroy a video file immediately?” Chen asked a class.