為何中國近來出現頻繁老闆跳樓事件，並結合收入結構、中位數與平均數差距等背景，呈現更完整的社會與經濟壓力脈絡。

一、收入結構揭示的社會壓力：中位數與平均數落差暗藏危機: 2025年上半年，全國居民人均可支配收入中位數為18,186元，比同期平均數低 16.7%。換算每月中位數為3,031元，凸顯絕大多數居民收入遠低於平均水平，貧富差距真實存在。進一步拆分：

 • 城鎮居民的人均可支配收入中位數為25,380元，月收入中位數4,230元，僅為城鎮平均數的88.0%，表明高收入群體拉高平均值，但大多數人收入不高。

 • 農村居民的人均可支配收入中位數為10,060元，月收入中位數1,677元，僅為平均數的 84.3%。

這反映民眾普遍壓力極大。即便是城鎮中產階層，也難以依靠企業穩定收益維持家庭生活與經營成本。對創業者與小老板而言，在這種收入分布下生存尤其艱難。

二、企業經營壓力：高槓桿與債務負擔構成殺機: 近期多位企業主選擇極端方式結束生命，背後往往與企業債務高企、現金流枯竭、上下游客戶拖欠，以及投資方不斷施壓有關。當老闆以個人資產擔保公司借款，或與銀行簽署個人連帶責任協議時，「有限責任公司」名義下的企業，很可能變成老闆個人財務的無限責任場域。一旦公司經營失敗，老闆不僅面臨債務追究，更可能被限制出境、列入債務黑名單，社會資源與創業機會被迫中止。

三、職業經理人的困境：沒有實控權卻承擔全部壓力: 以西子電梯劉文超事件為例，此前他為職業經理人，雖非實際控股者，但執行董事長兼總經理職務，對營收、項目執行仍負全權責任。在公司面臨下游客戶拖欠、合約糾紛與股東績效壓力時，他身處「結果負責人」角色，卻無法主導重大決策。如果業績不達標，或遇經濟環境惡化，便可能面臨撤職，甚至失去基本生活保障。這種「既非業主卻肩下最後責任」的角色設計，讓許多職業經理人成為轉型期商業體系下的高壓掩體。

四、制度缺陷與心理負累：破產救濟機制不完善: 目前中國尚未建立完善的個人破產制度。當負債超過能力範圍時，創業者往往無法透過破產重整尋找重生機會。部分地區對失信者的限制措施繁重，包括限制高消費、資產拍賣、社保停用等，在極端情況下更可能導致創業者无家可歸，使其陷入絕望的選擇。這種制度死角讓創業者一旦失敗便難以翻身，心理陰影與社會壓力難以消解。

五、總結：結構性問題下的悲劇重創: 將收入結構的低中位數（會拉低居民購買力與生活質量）與創業者面臨的債務壓力、職責責任不對等、制度空白三者結合，我們看到一個極其脆弱的商業生態。企業一旦遇到資金鏈斷裂、市場需求滑坡或合約違約，創業者往往沒有回旋餘地。老闆跳樓並非個人悲劇，而是整個制度與商業文化在轉型期的累積性後果。

日前劉文超跳樓事件震驚社會，但背後其實是無數企業主與職業經理人的集體病態：當「有限責任」名存實亡，「拼命經營」只能換來債務追債與信用破裂，最後微弱的尊嚴也被生活拖垮。要解決這樣的悲劇，不僅需要企業內部治理調整，更需要制度建設：設立個人破產制度、明確責任邊界、健全心理支持機制，以及促進公平資本環境。否則，這樣的跳樓悲劇將難以避免重演。

Exploring the Recent Surge in Suicide Among Chinese Entrepreneurs: A Socioeconomic Analysis Through Income Structure and Systemic Pressures

I. Societal Pressure Revealed by Income Structure: The Gap Between Median and Average Incomes Hides a Crisis

In the first half of 2025, the national per capita disposable income median in China was 18,186 yuan, which is 16.7% lower than the average for the same period. This translates to a monthly median income of 3,031 yuan, highlighting that the vast majority of residents earn far less than the average, underscoring the reality of the income gap.

Breaking it down further:

 • Urban residents had a per capita disposable income median of 25,380 yuan, or a monthly median of 4,230 yuan, which is only 88.0% of the urban average, indicating that a small high-income group significantly inflates the average, while most urban residents earn modestly.

 • Rural residents had a per capita disposable income median of 10,060 yuan, or a monthly median of 1,677 yuan, which is just 84.3% of the rural average.

These numbers reflect widespread economic pressure. Even the urban middle class struggles to support families and cover business operating costs based on such income levels. For entrepreneurs and small business owners, survival in this income distribution is especially difficult.

II. Business Operation Pressures: High Leverage and Debt as Triggers of Tragedy

Several recent suicide cases among business owners are often tied to ballooning company debt, cash flow crises, non-paying clients, and intense pressure from investors. When entrepreneurs personally guarantee company loans or sign joint liability agreements with banks, the “limited liability company” in name may become a zone of unlimited personal liability in practice.

If the business fails, the owner not only faces aggressive debt collection but may also be banned from leaving the country, blacklisted as a debtor, and cut off from social resources and future entrepreneurial opportunities. This creates a lethal trap for entrepreneurs caught in the cycle.

III. The Predicament of Professional Managers: Bearing All the Pressure Without Actual Control

Take the case of Liu Wenchao from Xizi Elevator. Although he was a professional manager and not a shareholder, he served as both executive chairman and general manager, bearing full responsibility for revenue and project execution.

When the company faced client defaults, contract disputes, and shareholder performance pressure, he found himself accountable for the outcomes but powerless to make critical decisions. In a worsening economy or underperformance, such managers face dismissal or even the loss of their basic livelihood.

This “not an owner, yet fully liable” role traps many professional managers in an unbearable position in the transitional business ecosystem, turning them into high-pressure shock absorbers.

IV. Systemic Gaps and Psychological Burdens: Incomplete Bankruptcy Protection

China has yet to establish a comprehensive personal bankruptcy system. When debt exceeds an entrepreneur’s capacity to repay, there is often no path to restructure or restart through bankruptcy proceedings.

Some regions impose severe restrictions on those deemed untrustworthy debtors, including limits on high spending, forced asset liquidation, and even suspension of social insurance. In extreme cases, this can lead to homelessness, pushing struggling entrepreneurs into utter despair.

This institutional blind spot means a failed entrepreneur has no way to recover, with intense psychological stress and social stigma that are hard to overcome.

V. Conclusion: Tragedy Rooted in Structural Flaws

When the low median income (reflecting weak purchasing power and poor quality of life) is combined with entrepreneurial debt pressure, unbalanced responsibility, and institutional voids, we witness a fragile business ecosystem. If a company faces a cash crunch, market downturn, or contract defaults, entrepreneurs often have no way out.

These suicide cases are not merely personal tragedies, but the cumulative fallout of systemic failures and cultural tensions during China’s economic transition.

The recent suicide of Liu Wenchao shocked the public, but beneath it lies the collective distress of countless business owners and managers: when the principle of “limited liability” becomes hollow, and “working to death” only results in debt and broken credit, even dignity is eroded by financial collapse.

To address this tragedy, reforms must go beyond internal business governance. They must include:

 • The establishment of a personal bankruptcy system,

 • Clearer boundaries of legal and managerial responsibility,

 • A robust psychological support framework, and

 • A fairer capital environment.

Without such changes, these tragedies are likely to repeat.