Chen Guangbiao's dream of owning an American newspaper is not going well.
After his meeting with the New York Times shareholders and summarily failing to convince them, the recycling magnate, who is one of China's richest men, said he would now like to try to buy the Wall Street Journal.
American newspaper owners should not fear, he said, because he is good at working with Jews.
"I am going to talk to the Wall Street Journal and find out if it's for sale," he said in an interview with Sinovision, a New York-based Chinese television station, translated by the South China Morning Post.
Chen said he was aware that many American papers were Jewish-owned and that was good because he had "equally competent IQ and EQ" compared with Jews.
"I am very good at working with Jews," he said.
Earlier this week, Chen wrote an op-ed for the state-run Global Times newspaper headlined: "I intend to buy The New York Times, this is not a joke".
"The tradition and style of The New York Times make it very difficult to have objective coverage of China.
"If we could purchase it, its tone might turn around. Therefore I have been involved in discussing acquisition-related matters with like-minded investors."
Chen is already pretty famous on the Chinese internet. He has previously sold "canned fresh air" to residents of Beijing suffering in the poisonous smog.
Currently circulating on Weibo is a picture of what purports to be the business card he handed out to the press, listing his accomplishments.
The business card allegedly handed out by Chen
His achievements on the card read: "The Most Influential Person of China," "Most Prominent Philanthropist of China," "China Moral Leader," "China Earthquake Rescue Hero," "Most Well-known and Beloved Chinese Role Model."
A error, perhaps, for Chen to have not included "Good At Working With Jews".